In this new global marketplace, where one can have anything from dog food to Dior delivered to the doorstep, it is no surprise that home design would be next. Revolution Precrafted aims to deliver just that – though it’s a far cry from the more common, cookie-cutter prefab houses.
The concept: A collection of limited-edition pre-crafted homes and pavilions designed by some of the world’s most illustrious architects, artists, and designers. Clients can peruse the website and select their model, which is then delivered via container truck to the location of their choice.
Before founding Revolution Precrafted in 2015, Robbie Antonio was founder and president of Antonio Development, in New York, and managing director of Century Properties, based in Asia.
Through this multicontinent career, Antonio has worked with 13 Pritzker Prize–winning architects, connections he leveraged with Revolution Precrafted. Some of the designers on the roster include Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel, Kengo Kuma, and Philip Johnson. The homes range in style from a low and luxurious glass structure resembling a chic shipping container by David Salle to a wood-and-metal design by Christian de Portzamparc that seems ready to set sail.
A Revolution Precrafted home by Marcel Wanders
The latest available design is a sumptuous wooden dwelling and pavilion by supermodel Helena Christensen and designer Camilla Staerk, named the Swallow Cabin and Spa Pavilion. The duo have their own namesake studio based in New York City, which successfully dabbles in fashion, furniture, photography, and film. Both natives of Denmark, the women were inspired by classic, minimalist Scandinavian architecture, and designed both buildings with persimmon stained black and warm gray woods.
The gray smoke glass windows reflect natural light, protecting skin from harmful rays. To add to the dark drama, Christensen and Staerk went for a curved roof of lacquered black wood, which depicts the silhouette of a swallow, a bird that breeds in northern Scandinavia. From the side, however, the avian-inspired home resembles the hull of a Viking ship turned upside down. The property has one master bedroom, two additional bedrooms, and a terrace, where one can cocktail before settling in for the night.
From the side, the influence of Viking ships is clear.
The duo’s creative process is indicative of the long leash Revolution Precrafted affords its collaborating designers and firms. “A mutual friend connected Helena and me with Robbie,” Staerk tells AD PRO. “He was so wonderful to brainstorm with and could really see we had a clear vision so he let us run with it. ”
Once given the green light, “Helena and I do what we always do when we have to work on a project: We got in the car and drove to the mountains in upstate New York and talked it out and sketched away,” Staerk recalls. The nearby swallows became a signature element in their design work, paired with visual references to the Viking ship, a nod to their Nordic heritage. “It was so beautiful and organic to translate our dark, romantic approach into architecture,” Staerk says.
While the concept may sound novel, it is certainly catching on. Revolution Precrafted is the fastest startup to reach unicorn status in Southeast Asia, and is valued at over $1 billion. Recently, the company entered the Japanese market with the debut of an 85-unit luxury resort project in Okinawa and secured the $3. 2 billion World Islands deal in Dubai with Seven Tides. Looking for a guesthouse for your garden or a pavilion to host a happening? Pour a glass of wine and start clicking.
