At the forefront of sustainable prefabricated housing, ODYL is blending nature-inspired innovation with a commitment to environmentally responsible design. We’re joined by Katrin Vares, co-founder and CEO, to delve into the company’s journey, their pioneering approach to biophilic design, and the distinctive features that make their homes functional, elegant, and eco-friendly.
Key Takeways:
- ODYL specialises in sustainable prefabricated homes crafted from glulam and CLT, ensuring durability, precision, and minimal environmental impact.
- Biophilic design principles guide ODYL’s philosophy, prioritizing natural materials, well-being, and eco-friendly practices.
- Homes are designed for deconstruction, enabling adaptability, recycling, and reduced waste at the end of their lifecycle.
- Customisation options include variations in size and interior finishes, with premium materials included in the base price.
- Off-grid capabilities integrate innovative energy and water management systems, tested in the ODYL Showcase house.
- A focus on precision engineering minimises waste, labor, and logistics, resulting in high-quality, future-proof homes.
Can you share the story behind ODYL’s founding? What inspired you to focus on this industry?
ODYL’s story began, like many others, with a personal challenge. My co-founder Gabriel and I were looking for a holiday home that was modern, sustainably small, yet spacious enough for a family. We wanted it to be surrounded by nature—somewhere to escape the routine of working from home. But as we searched for plots, we quickly realized that the places with that magical ‘X-factor’ were often in remote areas without utility connections.
While we admired the idea of off-grid living, the reality of balancing two small kids, a busy work schedule, and modern needs made it impractical. We didn’t want to compromise comfort for sustainability—or sustainability for comfort. That’s when we realised the solution didn’t exist yet, and we decided to create it ourselves.
Our vision for ODYL has always been rooted in sustainability and quality. We’re passionate about creating homes that don’t just look beautiful but also promote health and well-being. Since people spend up to 90% of their time indoors, we use natural materials to ensure these spaces are supportive, healthy, and designed to last. Everything we do is future-proof, including designing homes for deconstruction so they can be adapted or reused instead of discarded.
What makes ODYL unique?
What truly sets ODYL apart is our innovative approach to prefabrication and our commitment to sustainability and quality. Unlike traditional prefab manufacturers, we don’t handcraft our structural elements in a factory. Instead, we rely on precision engineering and machine cutting, which ensures unparalleled quality with minimal tolerances. This efficiency doesn’t just reduce costs—it also minimises waste, labor, and logistics, allowing us to reinvest in premium materials.
Our design philosophy is inspired by the principles of biophilic design, which emphasizes the use of natural elements and processes to create spaces that promote well-being. This means every home we build prioritises two things: being a healthy, functional space and embodying sustainability through process efficiency and quality.
We’ve also integrated sustainability into every step of our process. Our homes are designed with minimal resource needs, compact transportation, and quick assembly in mind. Even better, they are built to be reassembled or recycled if needed, ensuring longevity and adaptability.
What types of prefabricated homes does ODYL specialise in, and are there any distinctive design features or materials that set them apart?
We specialize in prefabricated homes made from glulam (glued laminated timber) and CLT (cross-laminated timber). These materials are not only durable and sustainable but also offer exceptional precision and performance. CNC machining ensures tight tolerances, enabling quick and error-free assembly, while the natural aesthetic of wood creates sleek, modern designs with a warm, inviting feel.
Glulam and CLT excel in thermal and acoustic insulation, have a positive CO2 balance, and are lightweight—making transportation and assembly efficient with minimal waste. They also provide enhanced fire resistance, thanks to their ability to char on the surface and protect inner layers.
By combining these advanced materials with thoughtful design, we create homes that are elegant, sustainable, and built to last. ODYL offers an independent living module than is a standard solution that can be added to off-grid and off-borehole locations. This technology has been developed with the support of EU innovation funds and tested at ODYL Showcase house.
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ASK FOR QUOTESSustainability is a growing concern in construction. How does ODYL manage the environmental impact of its manufacturing process, and what steps are you taking to reduce waste and promote sustainability?
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at ODYL, from design to construction and beyond. Our entire process is based on the principles of the building life cycle, ensuring that every stage—from material sourcing to deconstruction—supports environmental responsibility.
We start with sustainably sourced materials produced within the EU, minimising logistics and guaranteeing premium quality. During construction, our precision-engineered components ensure a quick, efficient assembly process with compact transportation to reduce emissions. This approach has resulted in less than 0.4% waste in our projects—half of which is simply packaging. By designing for minimal resource use and leveraging recyclable core materials, we actively reduce environmental impact.
Our homes are also designed for deconstruction. This means that at the end of their life, elements can be reused, transported, or recycled, reducing landfill waste and maximising resource efficiency. We incorporate features like solar energy systems, rainwater usage, and grey water recycling to promote sustainable living throughout the home’s lifespan. These innovations ensure low energy and water consumption while maintaining long-term durability and functionality.
Ultimately, our approach reflects a commitment to sustainability without compromise—providing elegant, efficient homes that are kind to the planet.
How does your team guide them from the initial design phase to final delivery, and what kind of support do you provide along the way? What can customers expect when they work with ODYL?
At ODYL, we pride ourselves on providing a smooth and transparent experience for our clients from start to finish. Our approach centres on clear communication and collaboration, ensuring clients feel supported and informed throughout the entire process.
We start with a 24-hour initial feedback rule, meaning that any inquiry or concern from a client is addressed within a day—a principle we uphold throughout the project and even after delivery. To keep communication seamless, we use TRELLO as our project management tool, giving clients full access to project updates, notifications, and relevant details in real time. This allows them to stay involved and have a clear overview of progress. Internally, we use Microsoft Project to ensure every step of the process is meticulously planned and executed.
When clients work with us, they can expect personalised attention. Either the founders or a local representative act as direct points of contact, ensuring a close and collaborative relationship. While the structural design is fixed, clients have full freedom to customise their interiors, with our team guiding them through the decision-making process to ensure their choices align with their needs and the overall design.
Once the house is delivered, our support doesn’t end. We provide detailed user manuals and instructional videos to help clients navigate their new home. Our 24-hour feedback rule extends for two years post-delivery, offering ongoing support to address any questions or concerns during the usage phase.
Ultimately, customers can expect a well-structured, communicative process, from the initial design phase to the moment they receive their keys—and even beyond. We’re committed to making the journey as enjoyable and stress-free as the final product is functional and beautiful.
How does ODYL stay at the forefront of industry developments? What sets your company apart from other prefab manufacturers, and how do you tackle complex projects and challenges?
The way we see it, innovation is the bridge between well-thought-out ideas and real-world solutions. It’s not just about having bold ideas—it’s about rigorously testing and refining them until we achieve the best possible results. For us, innovation isn’t a one-time event; it’s an ongoing process that drives our product development, processes, business model, and client services.
- Product Innovation
We develop products that adapt to evolving market demands and offer unique solutions that only ODYL provides. For example, we’ve introduced fully independent living modules and standard hybrid solutions for energy and water management. These features give clients more flexibility and sustainability options as part of their home design.
- Process Innovation
Our internal processes are designed to maximise efficiency and quality while reducing costs. On average, 73% of ODYL’s costs are allocated to high-quality materials, with only 28% spent on labor—significantly different from the European construction average of 60% for materials and 40% for labor. This approach allows us to offer better-quality products for the same total cost as traditional methods.
- Business Model Innovation
We’ve redefined the business model for prefabricated homes. Instead of building modules in a factory as is typical for timber frame constructions, we rely on CNC machine-cut factories to produce our structural elements. This approach ensures precision, quality, and adherence to project timelines while offering greater flexibility in design and assembly.
- Service Innovation
We believe homes should be treated like high-quality appliances—they require maintenance to ensure their longevity. For every client, we provide a personalised maintenance calendar with detailed manuals for all appliances and systems used in their home. This ensures that clients can easily care for their homes and maximise their lifespan.
By combining these innovations, we’ve positioned ODYL as a leader in tackling complex projects with confidence. Our ability to innovate across multiple dimensions—product, process, business model, and service—sets us apart and allows us to deliver homes that are not only sustainable and high-quality but also tailored to meet the unique challenges of modern living.
How do you balance the need for customisation with cost savings and the efficiencies of prefab construction?
Customisation in terms of house size does not add any extra costs to ODYL design if the structural special parts stay the same. Extending the length, width and height of the house is always an option without extra costs.
ODYL House can be extended in all directions: width, length and height without having to re-project special parts of the house. To date, 40m2 (1 bedroom, small), 80m2 (2 bedroom) + 106 m2, 132m2 (3-bedroom) floor plans have been created based on clients’ wishes. As long as the special parts stay the same, ODYL can customise the design according to the client’s wishes.
Interior design elements (finishes and colours, parquet etc. preference-based choices can always be changed with either no extra costs or +/- in the budget). ODYL house standard has higher price range choices included, therefore, the final cost of the house is likely not going to be higher than the base price. For example:
- Standard offer price of each solid wooden door: €1250
- Price m2 of tiles: €75/m2
Rough calculations show that if premium quality interior design elements would be exchanged for lower quality, cheaper solutions, up to €15,000 could be saved. This does not include any structural changes, only interior design options that are in ODYL’s standard offer.
Ready to redefine sustainable living with elegance and functionality? Explore ODYL’s catalogue to discover their innovative prefabricated homes, complete with pricing, configurations, and customisation options to create your ideal eco-friendly sanctuary.
