Four walls, four sides, four corners – most homes take on the shape of a rectangle. I don’t know if rectangular homes rule because they’re just easier to build compared to other shapes, like a triangle or hexagon, or if that’s what the first settlers used in colonial America and we’ve adhered to that standard. Another thought could be that rectangular homes fit neatly side-by-side with minimal wasted space. But, if we’re not building row houses, why not look at shapes found in nature?
For instance, 6 – to 12- sided homes are found throughout the world as are round huts that resemble yurts which are common in developing countries. Thinking outside the box, quite literally, multi-sided homes have benefits not found in traditional rectangular-shaped homes. In traditional 4-square homes, corners are often wasted, yet in more open floor plans and wall designs, corners aren’t as defined leaving more floor space available. Another benefit with round-style homes is that there usually are no load-bearing walls that interfere with floor plan design. The exterior shape resembles a honeycomb (if six-sided) which is much stronger than a four-sided structure.
*On a side note, there’s book that was written in 1973 about octagonal homes built in the mid-1800’s. It was a design craze and the book apparently explains the reasoning behind such homes including utilizing maximum space and reducing heating.
One such company that builds multi-sided homes is Multi-Faceted Homes out of Hawaii. They offer prefab Hale kit homes that range from a six-sided up to 12-sided, two-story floor plans. Hurricane and earthquake durable, the homes are made of beautiful cedar.
Using an open floor plan, the Hale kits can be arranged in a modular fashion to include multiple bedrooms, lofts, and a covered, wrap-around porch. The Hale design is beautiful and affordable starting as low as $11,000 on up to $142,000 for their largest floor plan. Multi-Faceted Homes can be assembled by 4 to 5 people, as long as one of them has construction experience, within a week or less.
The one caveat I’m not sure of is if they ship to the mainland or how much the shipping would cost once the home is ordered. Shipping cost would need to be factored into the final building cost.
I’m always looking for prefab homes that are affordable, beautiful, and easy to assemble. These homes definitely fit that description.
Do you live in a hexagonal shaped home or know someone who does? Do these floor plans seem more functional?
4 Comments
On one of the back roads driving to the mall, there was a house that was shaped like a hexagon and the roof dropped down almost to the ground. It was odd, only because it was different. I always wanted to go inside and see what it was like, but I didn’t know the people that lived there and it never was for sale, which would have been a great time to check it out.
@Jon – It would be interesting to know what the floor plan looks like. There are a few hexagon-shaped houses north of me, but they are more bubble-looking. I’d be curious to know if they also have an open and flexible floor plan.
I used to live in a town that had a dome shaped house in it. It was a really pretty home; the circle house that you posted photos of looks beautiful! Houses that are literally just four sides are really boring to me. I prefer angles. They add a lot of interest both outside and inside the home.
@Daisy- There are so many options out there besides four-sided homes. It’s just too bad that the rectangle rules the suburbs and new home builders stick with the standard shape (I’m guessing that’s due to utilizing land space more efficiently.)