Choosing between the seven kitset designs

Our seven kitset designs run from a 36 m² one-bedroom cabin to a 112 m² three-bedroom family home. If you are planning one of our kitset homes for Rarotonga, Fiji, Samoa or Tonga, you probably already know enough to rule most of them out. Four questions do the rest: floor area, bedroom count, roof type and outdoor space.

A kitset is the structural steel framing package, not a complete house. It covers wall frames, roof framing, screws and connectors, grommets and drawings. Cladding, roofing, joinery, linings, insulation, services, foundations and site works are arranged separately and confirmed in the quotation.

Question one: how much floor area?

Floor area sets the size of the frame, the slab and everything that goes on it. The range falls into three groups.

• Small kitset homes: Falae 36 (36 m²) and Malae 67 (67 m²).
• Compact family size: Reef 70 (70 m²), Lagoon 70 (70 m²) and Harbour 71 (71 m²).
• Larger homes: Vaka One (86 m²) and Vaka Two (112 m²).

Check the external dimensions against your site as well. Harbour 71 is close to square at 9.32 × 7.6 m. Reef 70 is longer and narrower at 10.6 × 6.6 m. On a tight section the shape can matter as much as the area.

Question two: a 2 bedroom or 3 bedroom kitset home?

Bedroom count narrows the field quickly.

• One bedroom: Falae 36.
• Two bedrooms: Malae 67, Lagoon 70 and Vaka One.
• Three bedrooms: Reef 70, Harbour 71 and Vaka Two.

Bathrooms come next. Vaka One and Vaka Two have two bathrooms each. Every other design has one. If you want a 3 bedroom kitset home with a second bathroom, Vaka Two is the only design that has both as drawn. For a compact 2 bedroom kitset home, compare Malae 67 and Lagoon 70, which are close in size but differ in shape and roof form.

Question three: mono-pitch or gable roof?

Four designs have a mono-pitch roof at 5°: Vaka One, Vaka Two, Reef 70 and Falae 36. Lagoon 70 is also mono-pitch, at 10°, the steeper option in the range. Harbour 71 and Malae 67 have gable roofs, at 5°.

A mono-pitch roof is a single sloping plane, which keeps the frame simple. A gable roof has two slopes meeting at a ridge and gives a more traditional shape. Which suits your site depends on wind exposure, drainage and the roofing your builder will fix, so talk it through with your builder and engineer. Roofing itself is not part of the kitset.

Question four: how much outdoor space?

The specifications list floor area, dimensions, bedrooms, bathrooms and roof. They say nothing about verandas. Some floor plans show a deck or veranda, so look at the plan and ask us exactly what the quoted frame covers.

Veranda options, dimensions and internal layouts can usually be adjusted within a design. Tell us how you want to use the outdoor space when you ask for a quote.

Render · design intent

The seven designs at a glance

• Falae 36 (PSF-F36): 36 m², 7.48 × 4.82 m, one bedroom, one bathroom, mono-pitch roof at 5°. The smallest complete design we make, suited to a sleepout, guest room or first build.
• Malae 67 (PSF-M67): 67 m², 8.73 × 7.63 m, two bedrooms, one bathroom, gable roof at 5°. Suits a small family, a rental or a first home.
• Reef 70 (PSF-R70): 70 m², 10.6 × 6.6 m, three bedrooms, one bathroom, mono-pitch roof at 5°. Three bedrooms in a compact footprint.
• Lagoon 70 (PSF-LD70): 70 m², 10.0 × 7.0 m, two bedrooms, one bathroom, mono-pitch roof at 10°. Suits a second dwelling, guest accommodation or a small family.
• Harbour 71 (PSF-H71): 71 m², 9.32 × 7.6 m, three bedrooms, one bathroom, gable roof at 5°. A full family home in a compact frame.
• Vaka One (PSF-V1): 86 m², 12.0 × 7.18 m, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, mono-pitch roof at 5°. The least complicated frame in the range to assemble, and easy to extend later.
• Vaka Two (PSF-V2): 112 m², 14.09 × 7.95 m, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, mono-pitch roof at 5°. Our largest kitset, for a family or multi-generation household.

All specifications are indicative and confirmed at quotation. The product codes are proposed and may change before they are confirmed.

If none of the seven quite fits

If what you want sits outside the seven kitsets, send us your own drawings and we will design a custom frame from scratch.

When you enquire, tell us the design you are closest to, the island and your intended site. We will confirm what the framing package includes, what is optional, and what needs engineering or freight input.