Houses tend to use a lot of energy and resources — but one Canadian startup is attempting to create modular tiny homes that make up a "net-zero community."
CABN, founded in 2021, makes "energy-efficient smart homes for unique locations worldwide," according to the company's website, and it also "represents the intersection of intelligent building design, fabrication and assembly with a novel application of technology, reimagining the housing market for a sustainable and attainable home for individuals and communities."
CABN creates prefabricated homes using FSC-certified timber, which can then be delivered to almost any location. Prefabricated homes are built offsite in a central location (i.e., a factory) and then delivered to their final destination. They are often more affordable and much faster to build than houses built onsite.
But CABN's homes aren't just affordable and quickly constructed — they also feature environmentally friendly aspects such as solar energy and battery storage, as well as smart home technology that tracks the house's low-impact water and waste systems. The homes are fully off-grid capable, which allows them to be shipped and assembled practically anywhere.
The company has even registered a patent for its construction methods. Its prices for homes range from $219,000 for a one-bedroom to $549,000 for a four-bedroom.
CABN was founded by Jackson Wyatt, a "social entrepreneur" whose previous experience also comes from the environmentally friendly entrepreneurship realm — Wyatt founded Greenlid, a company that makes compostable tableware that replaces single-use plastics.
Greenlid was successfully pitched on the television show "Dragon's Den" and is distributed in more than 10,000 stores across North America and 25 countries worldwide.
Wyatt described his personal mission in creating Greenlid and CABN as "designing systems that help millions of people make consistent positive environmental decisions, rather than focus on one person making a complete change."
Part of CABN's core focus is not just creating single homes, but an entire net-zero community. The company is working on a 67-home community, according to Inhabitat, and construction on the first home has just finished.
CABN also recently opened its first showhome in Eastern Ontario, where prospective buyers can visit one of the prefab, environmentally friendly homes in person.
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