You may think the Europeans and Americans have cornered the market in smart transportable housing (think weeHouse, m-ch, or the Loftcube, amongst others).

But as architect Brian Donovan points out, Queenslanders have been doing it for years. You only have to head up the Bruce Highway north of Brisbane to see battalions of preloved houses stationed on the landscape, patiently awaiting new owners and new locations.

Many were assembled from essentially prefabricated parts. Lifting them off their stumps and moving them on has always been part of the program. The fundamental expediency of the region’s historical housing stock melds well with current philosophies informing sustainability and adaptability.

Donovan Hill considered the idea of pre-made houses long and hard before embarking on a new venture with entrepreneur and developer Toby Lewis. The result is Happy Haus, a series of architect-designed houses which roll off a factory conveyor belt south of Brisbane 99% complete, then head to their chosen locations on the back of a truck.

“I realised when I built my own house that there had to be a better way,” says Lewis. “It was so time consuming and the budget kept blowing out. There was such an obvious need in the market for smarter, cheaper housing delivered in a more efficient way.”

For the full text turn to page 156 of Indesign #41 on newsstands now.