Whidbey Puzzle Prefab: A Compact Forest Home Built With Precision
Set deep within the evergreens of Whidbey Island, this prefab home is designed to touch the landscape lightly, by Wittman Estes.
Four modular volumes rest on pin foundations instead of concrete, reducing disturbance to tree roots and cutting the carbon footprint of the structure. The exterior is wrapped in cedar siding finished in a muted silver tone, allowing the home to blend quietly into the surrounding forest.
Large windows and sliding doors open the compact interior to the dense vegetation outside. Birch plywood walls, blackened steel counters, and cedar ceilings give the rooms a warm, simple character. The kitchen and dining area look directly into the woods, while the study nook and bedroom use full-height glass to frame the forest floor, ferns, and towering trunks.
This prototype is fully electric, net-zero, and powered by a rooftop solar array. Hydronic heating, energy recovery ventilation, and smart monitoring systems keep energy use efficient throughout the year. The design team structured the layout around indoor–outdoor living, with covered cedar decks extending the living space and making the 600-square-foot home feel much larger than its footprint suggests.
Images by @wittmanestes @poguephoto.