The Modular Building Institute offers insight into European prefab style, with a look at Casas inHAUS, a leader in the production of modular homes in Spain
Brothers, Rubén and Sergio Navarro, are the founders and co-owners of Casas inHAUS — a Spanish company with offices in Valencia, Madrid, Alicante, and Barcelona.
Rubén is the chief executive officer, and Sergio is the chief operating officer
Their father was a bricklayer, and the brothers learned from him at a young age that although architecture has transformed drastically over the course of human history, building systems have barely evolved since antiquity.
When both brothers began to practice architecture, they decided to do things differently in the profession.
“Initially, we tried to design houses and collaborate with manufacturers with experience in prefabrication to produce them,” Sergio says. “But we realised that the only way to really do things differently was to take care of 100% of the process.”
These days, Casas inHAUS is a leader in the production of modular homes in Spain. They also export them to other European countries and are now beginning to have orders from the United States as well.
“We design and manufacture the homes ourselves, using an industrialised process so we can optimise time and cost efficiencies. Because we control manufacturing, we can also make sure high standards are always maintained,” Rubén says.
“We work with great people and our entire company works like an efficient relay race team, passing the baton from one department to the next — all the way from marketing to handing over the keys to the client.”
Casas inHAUS offers a complete turnkey service for their clients. In addition to design and manufacturing, they take care of surveying, applying for building permits, performing geotechnical tests, insurance, onsite construction, and so on.
Current Projects
Casas inHAUS specialises in designing and manufacturing high-end, single-family homes. The modular homes they’re currently working on are also large — typically over 600 sqm (approximately 6500 sq ft). The company has a catalogue of over one hundred “ready to go” designs available on their website for clients to choose from. Clients can also modify the designs, or have a custom home designed from scratch.
“In Spain, industrialised construction was something rare and new less than ten years ago. Since then, we’ve been able to position ourselves as leaders in designing and manufacturing high-end concrete modular houses in Spain,” Sergio says.
“Here in Spain, homeowners are increasingly demanding homes as a product. They want a fixed price for their home and they want turnkey service,” explains Rubén. “This is a growing trend in the market for new housing construction.”
Thanks to this trend, the Navarro brothers report that the Casas inHAUS brand has grown exponentially, doubling turnover each year since it was founded.
World of Modular Presentation
“Being able to learn from the American modular industry is extremely valuable to us,” says Rubén.
“We learn so much about wood modular construction from our American counterparts. And we enjoy sharing how we develop our concrete houses.”
At this year’s World of Modular convention, Rubén Navarro and Clara Calvo, the sales and marketing manager at Casas inHAUS, will be giving a presentation that will focus on their most recent projects.
“We will talk about how we continually engage in research and development to achieve better designs and finishes in all our houses. We will also touch on the benefits of industrial construction methods and processes,” says Rubén.
“Above all, we look forward to sharing with World of Modular attendees what’s happening in the modular industry in Spain and the rest of Europe.”
This article was first published in the Modular Building Institute’s Modular Advantage magazine – January/February 2021 Edition.
Zena Ryder
Freelance writer
LinkedIn: Zena Ryder
