The Flat-Pack House

Imagine ordering a custom house for less than $225,000 and getting it delivered like mail. That’s the idea behind BriteSpace, a new offering from San Francisco–based Avava Systems that aims to push the boundaries of micro-housing. After customers order a unit, ranging from 264 sq. ft. to 480 sq. ft., it arrives in flat-pack boxes, the way Ikea furniture does–though they’ll need expert builders either from a local construction company or Avava to assemble it. (The latter option is available only in the Bay Area.) The goal, says CEO Benjamin Kimmich, is to create more housing opportunities in places where it’s harder to deliver traditional prefabricated homes on giant flatbed trailers, like backyards and rural areas.

–Julia Zorthian