Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jun 02, 2025

A Trailblazing Aluminum Prefab Will Soon Woo U.S. Buyers

A Trailblazing Aluminum Prefab Will Soon Woo U.S. Buyers

Mexico City’s Taller Aragonés debuts the Pi Home, an energy-efficient modular home that can be assembled in just 45 days.

On a wooded hillside in the Mexico City colonia of Bosques de las Lomas, Taller Aragonés has erected a prototype of the Pi Home to showcase its ingenious, fully customizable modular construction system. The prefab comes flat-packed in boxes and can be assembled in 45 days without the help of heavy machinery.



Buyers of the Pi Home can fully customize the interior, from furniture selection and fabrics to the veneer of the wall panels.

Lightweight, intuitive to assemble, and inexpensive to ship, the Pi Home uses extrusion-die aluminum framing that’s anchored with rebar to the ground or a poured concrete foundation. Like a Lego set, a network of steel doughnuts spans lengths of up to 30 feet to support the structure. Aluminum studs link seamlessly to joists, and the exterior cladding is clipped onto the frame. It’s a method that could, in principle, be extended to 45 feet. Able to be shipped anywhere, the system holds potential for single-family homes as well as larger projects, such as social housing.



The aluminum joists and studs plug into series of steel doughnuts to secure the structure.



The Pi Home is adaptable to different site conditions and engineered to withstand the earthquakes common to Mexico City.

"It’s important to emphasize this being not only a modular system, but a construction system, so it can transform according to the site’s topography and dimensions," says Rafael Aragonés, son of architect Miguel Aragonés and an associate in his studio. "If you need to adapt it for a particular project or landscape, you’re easily able to adjust the construction system."



Double-glazed windows facing south provide both insulation and adequate heat gain for the cooler climate of the city’s higher altitude in Bosques de las Lomas.



The homes come move-in ready with appliances, furniture, and finishes chosen by the owner.



In the Pi Home prototype, the walls and floors are composed of MDF with the wood veneer clipped to the aluminum structure.



Insulation between the exterior cladding and interior walls ensures a high energy-efficiency rating, which can reach as high as R30 depending on its thickness.

The Bosques de las Lomas model is a relatively luxe version, furnished with top-of-the-line appliances and finished with high-quality materials. Even so, Aragonés says, the Pi Home’s aluminum frame, speed of assembly, and lower shipping costs means that it’s about a third of the cost of a typical construction-making it an exemplary modern home affordable to moderate-income earners.



The rear curtain wall system opens to an outdoor patio raised above the wooded landscape.



Retractable screens allow for shade and privacy in the living area.



A wraparound veranda bordered with glass offers additional outdoor space.

Not only that, the Pi Home surpasses traditional home design through its impressive energy efficiency. The walls and joists have thermal and waffle insulation packages that meet California’s high R22 sustainability standard, achieving a complete thermal break to prevent leakage of heat through the structure. The windows are all double-glazed. And aluminum is one of the most easily and widely recycled materials, giving the house an especially circular life cycle.

"You have all of this midcentury inheritance, but truly, when you visit these houses in California, it was all very aesthetic, but it was unlivable on a hot or cold day," says Aragonés. "We have to take the step and accomplish having efficient thermal living inside the house."



The main bedroom on the second floor takes advantage of the curtain wall's openness.



Recessed lighting gives the space a warm glow at night.



Pi Home prefab floor plan

The Pi Home has received an international patent in Switzerland for the first-of-its-kind structure for aluminum houses. Taller Aragonés expects to complete the International Code Council building certification process in the coming months and plans to market the house in California, New York, and Texas.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
×