Samara installs its first factory-built home in Los Angeles rebuild effort
Samara, the factory-built ADU company co-founded by US chief design officer Joe Gebbia, has installed the first of a series of units in Los Angeles on the site of a home that burned down in the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.
Last Thursday, Samara lowered a factory-built home into concrete foundations in Altadena, one of the areas most affected by the wildfires in January 2026 that destroyed more than 16,000 buildings across the city and county.
Samara worked with non-profit Steadfast LA to build the two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit for free to an individual who had lost their home in wildfires. It is just one of the units committed through the charity for the ongoing rebuild effort in the city.
"Our hope is to help families move forward," a representative from Samara told Dezeen. "This home is the first in a series of homes Samara plans to deliver throughout the year."
Most of the company's steel-framed units are put together in a factory in Mexico, shipped to building sites in sections and laid side by side on concrete foundations.
The fibre-cement panels, standing-steam roof, windows and interiors will then be installed and inspected on site.
Though the company was founded to provide backyard units to expand the occupancy of lots, it says its approach is well-suited to the needs of the rebuild.
"Many of the homes lost in Altadena were 1,000 square feet or smaller," claimed the Samara representative.
"Samara's 950-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bath homes are designed to function as full residences. While these designs originated as backyard accessory dwelling units (ADUs), they have since evolved to function as full, primary residences for those who need them most."
Samara said that the system allows for streamlined installation after approvals and claimed that only 34 days passed between the approval of the permit for the site and final installation. It took just under two months for the permit to be approved.
Both LA County and the City of Los Angeles have programs that allow for expedited planning approval, with pre-approved designs displayed on websites that homeowners can choose from for faster production.
Samara said that its system cuts down on time as the modular units can be built during the approval process and not afterwards, given their serial, mass-production method.
"Factory-built homes allow much of the construction to happen offsite, which is especially valuable after a disaster," said Samara.
"While permitting and site prep are underway, the home itself can be built in parallel, rather than waiting for all approvals until construction begins."
Samara also said that the houses "meet – and in some cases exceed" the fireproofing code requirements laid out by the city.
Finishing touches and utility connections will take place over the coming weeks on the recently installed unit.
Begun as a sub-company of Airbnb, Samara was spun off into a separate company in 2022 by Gebbia and American businessman Mike McNamara. Gebbia was recently named the US's first chief design officer by president Donald Trump.
Last year, Dezeen spoke with the businessman-designer about the appointment.
The fire rebuild efforts in Los Angeles continue more than a year after the flames were extinguished. Last week, Dezeen talked to local architects on the ground about the rebuilding efforts.
Elsewhere in the city, US home builder Cosmic Buildings has set up a robotic factory for on-site building initiatives.
The photography is courtesy of Samara.
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