First Penthouse. Pressroom

I dream of prefabs

"Prefab" and "penthouse" are two words rarely put together-unless you're talking about the reading material of choice for a lonely guy living in a double-wide.

But with their company, First Penthouse, Swedish civil engineers Annika and Hakan Olsson have brought these seemingly disparate elements into blissful coexistence.
"The rooftops of the central London skyline are a resource that has been left uncultivated for too long," reads the company brochure, "but one that is really only accessible if the heavy construction process is moved off-site." With property values soaring and urban density increasing, this is an idea whose time has come.

Founded in 1992, First Penthouse has developed projects in some of London's wealthiest neighborhoods and plans for New York and Paris development are in the works. The husband-and-wife team negotiates a deal with a property owner to purchase a roof as if it were an empty lot and then designs an area per customer specifications. The luxury units are assembled as modules at a factory in Sweden-the process takes about ten weeks.

After the units are outfitted and factory-tested, they are brought over from Sweden in shipping containers and lifted by crane to their top-floor destination. Once a module is positioned on the roof (which has been prepared for its arrival), it has a roof surface, working electricity, heating, and plumbing in about a day. The finishing touches on upscale, owner-specified amenities take about four weeks to complete.

Factory construction methods notwithstanding, these residences have price tags commensurate with their penthouse status-the Albert Court units sell for $4 million to $5 million-and the Olssons remain committed to serving this demographic. There are, unfortunately, no plans for a First Studio Apartment.

back to pressroom