Kimberley Mok is a former architect who has been covering architecture and the arts for Treehugger since 2007.

Prefabs have quite a number of advantages over conventionally built structures: they are much quicker to erect; their fabrication process minimizes waste, while maximizing quality. They can be designed and built in a modular way too, making them imminently flexible in terms of functionality and possible layouts.

We can find that same idea of flexibility in the Drop Box N-240 by Spanish firm In-Tenta (seen here previously with another version of the Drop Box). This newest version is intended as a portable hotel suite that have a lighter impact, as they are "dropped in" on a site, says designer architect Marta Gordillo on New Atlas:

Clad with either wooden slats, larch wood panels, or cement wood composite panels, the 200-square-foot (18.5 square metres) Drop Box N-240 is prefabricated in a factory and can be elevated above the ground to minimize any disturbance to the site. The unit is framed in wood, while the roof is covered with steel sheeting.

Inside, the interior is warmed up with wooden panelling for the walls, while the layout features a living room and sofa bed, kitchenette, bedroom, bathroom and a porch. Thanks to its space-saving furniture and storage hidden under the bed and overhead in the kitchen, the Drop Box is capable of accommodating up to four people within its insulated walls.

The Drop Box N-240 is currently priced at USD $21,200. Compact, functional and minimalist in aesthetic, the Drop Box is another sign of the times as newer building techniques are paving the way for doing things differently and more sustainably. Visit In-Tenta on Facebook and Instagram.

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