• Scalability: Modules can be added or removed to adjust the size of the house. For example, a basic 1-bedroom home can be expanded into a 2-bedroom home by adding a single wall and floor module. A backyard office can be extended to include a storage room or a meeting space with minimal effort.

• Reconfigurability: Modules can be rearranged to change the layout of the house. A remote-site dormitory with 4 bunk beds can be reconfigured into a medical clinic by removing the beds and adding exam tables and storage modules. A backyard office can be transformed into a guest house by swapping out a desk module for a bed module.

• Portability: Modules are lightweight (typically 200–500 kg) and compact, making them easy to transport and relocate. This means that a house built for a construction site in one location can be disassembled, transported to a new site, and reassembled for a different purpose—such as a community center or a temporary school.

• Weather Resistance: The outer metal skins are resistant to corrosion, UV rays, and impact, making them suitable for use in harsh weather conditions. For example, panels with galvanized steel skins can withstand heavy rain and saltwater spray in coastal areas, while panels with aluminum skins are lightweight and rust-proof for use in remote wilderness areas.

• Thermal Insulation: The insulation core can be customized to meet specific climate needs. Polyurethane foam cores offer high insulation values for cold climates (keeping homes warm in winter), while polystyrene cores are cost-effective and heat-resistant for tropical climates (keeping homes cool in summer). Rock wool cores are fire-retardant, making them ideal for use in fire-prone areas.

• Soundproofing: For applications like backyard offices or recording studios, Lida offers sandwich panels with thicker insulation cores or additional soundproofing layers. These panels can reduce outside noise by up to 40 decibels, creating a quiet, distraction-free environment.

• Temporary Use: For short-term needs (e.g., a construction project that lasts 6 months or a disaster recovery effort that lasts a year), the houses can be assembled quickly and then disassembled and reused elsewhere.

• Seasonal Use: For seasonal applications (e.g., a summer camp or a tourist lodge), the houses can be set up in spring and taken down in fall, reducing the need for year-round maintenance.

• On-Demand Relocation: If a user’s needs change—such as a business moving its remote office to a new location or a family relocating to a new city—the house can be disassembled, transported, and reassembled at the new site.

• Interior Fixtures: Desks, chairs, beds, storage cabinets, kitchenettes (with sinks, stoves, and refrigerators), and bathrooms (with toilets, showers, and sinks). These fixtures can be pre-installed in modules at the factory or added on-site.

• Utility Systems: Solar panels (for off-grid use), generators, heating and cooling systems (electric heaters, air conditioners, or wood stoves), and plumbing systems (for water supply and waste disposal). These systems can be customized to meet the needs of the location—such as solar panels for remote sites without access to the power grid.

• Exterior Features: Decks, porches, awnings, and storage sheds. These features can be added to enhance the functionality of the house—such as a deck for a backyard office or a storage shed for a construction site dormitory.

• Aesthetic Customizations: Exterior paint colors, interior wall finishes (paint, wallpaper, or wood panels), and flooring (vinyl, carpet, or hardwood). These customizations allow users to match the house to their personal style or brand—such as a backyard office painted to match the main house or a company’s remote-site dormitory featuring the company’s colors.

• Inaccessibility: Many remote sites are located in areas with poor or no road infrastructure, making it difficult to transport traditional building materials.

• Harsh Environments: Remote sites often experience extreme weather conditions—cold winters, hot summers, heavy rain, or high winds—that can damage traditional homes.

• Temporary Needs: Most remote work projects have a fixed timeline (6 months to 3 years), so permanent housing is not cost-effective.

• Worker Comfort: Keeping workers comfortable is critical for productivity and retention, but traditional temporary housing (such as tents or basic trailers) often lacks insulation, heating, and other essential amenities.

• Dormitories: These houses are designed to accommodate multiple workers, with layouts ranging from 4-bed to 8-bed rooms. They include bunk beds, storage lockers, and shared bathrooms. Many dormitories also feature a common area with a TV, couches, and a small kitchenette for workers to relax and socialize.

• Staff Housing: For site managers or long-term workers, Lida offers 1-bedroom or 2-bedroom houses with private bathrooms, kitchens, and living areas. These houses are designed to feel like a “home away from home,” with comfortable furniture and amenities like air conditioning and heating.

• Support Buildings: In addition to housing, Lida provides prefab mobile buildings for remote-site support services, such as kitchens, dining halls, laundry facilities, medical clinics, and offices. These buildings are designed to work seamlessly with the housing units, creating a self-contained camp.

• Insulated Sandwich Panels: Panels with polyurethane foam or rock wool cores provide excellent thermal insulation, keeping houses warm in winter and cool in summer.

• Weather-Resistant Exteriors: Galvanized steel or aluminum skins resist corrosion and damage from wind, rain, and snow.

• Off-Grid Utility Systems: Solar panels, generators, and water tanks allow the houses to operate independently of the power grid and water supply—critical for remote sites with no infrastructure.

• Durable Flooring: Vinyl or linoleum flooring is easy to clean and resistant to wear and tear from heavy foot traffic.

• 50 Dormitory Houses: Each dormitory was a 60-square-meter, 4-bed unit with bunk beds, storage lockers, a shared bathroom, and a small common area. The houses were equipped with polyurethane foam core sandwich panels for insulation and electric heating systems to keep them warm in winter.

• 10 Staff Houses: These 70-square-meter, 2-bedroom houses were provided for site managers and long-term workers. They included private bathrooms, kitchens with stoves and refrigerators, and living areas with couches and TVs.

• 5 Support Buildings: A kitchen/dining hall (150 square meters), a laundry facility (50 square meters), a medical clinic (30 square meters), and two offices (20 square meters each).

• Privacy: A separate office space allows workers to separate their work and home lives, reducing distractions from family members or household chores.

• Productivity: A dedicated office with a desk, chair, and proper lighting creates a professional atmosphere that boosts focus and productivity.

• Flexibility: Backyard offices can be used for more than just work—they can double as a guest room, a hobby space, a home gym, or a playroom for kids.

• Affordability: Traditional home additions can cost \(50,000 or more and take months to build. Lida’s prefab mobile houses cost a fraction of that (typically \)10,000–$30,000) and can be assembled in days.

• No Permits (in Many Cases): In many regions, small backyard structures (under 100 square feet) do not require building permits, making the process even faster and easier.

• Compact Offices: These 10–20 square meter spaces are designed for solo workers, with a desk, a chair, storage shelves, and a small window. They can be equipped with high-speed internet wiring, LED lighting, and a small heater or air conditioner.

• Spacious Offices: These 20–30 square meter spaces are ideal for workers who need more room, or for couples who work from home together. They include a larger desk area, a meeting nook, and additional storage. Some designs also feature a small bathroom or a mini-kitchenette with a coffee maker and a mini-fridge.

Multi-Purpose Spaces: These 30–50 square meter houses are designed to be flexible, with removable partitions that allow the space to be used as an office during the day and a guest room or playroom at night. They include a fold-out couch

• A large open workspace with 4 desks, ergonomic chairs, and a shared meeting table.

• High-speed internet wiring and multiple power outlets for laptops and equipment.

• A mini-kitchenette with a coffee maker, mini-fridge, and microwave.

• A small bathroom with a toilet and sink.

• An exterior finish of wood-look panels that matched the main house’s siding, plus a 10-square-meter deck for outdoor breaks.

• Rapid Deployment: Shelters must be delivered and assembled within days (not weeks) to avoid exposing displaced people to the elements.

• Durability: Shelters must withstand harsh post-disaster conditions, such as heavy rain, strong winds, or extreme temperatures.

• Basic Sanitation: Access to clean water, toilets, and handwashing facilities is critical to preventing the spread of disease.

• Flexibility: As recovery progresses, shelters may need to be converted into other uses (e.g., clinics, schools) to support long-term community rebuilding.

• Fast Assembly: Modules are designed to be assembled by unskilled workers with minimal training. A team of 2–3 people can assemble a 15-square-meter family shelter in 4–6 hours.

• Weather Resistance: Sandwich panels with galvanized steel skins and rock wool cores (fire-retardant) provide protection from wind, rain, snow, and fire. The shelters are tested to withstand wind speeds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph), making them suitable for hurricane or cyclone zones.

• Sanitation Features: Many shelter designs include a separate “hygiene module” with a toilet, shower, and handwashing station. Lida also provides portable water tanks and water purification systems to ensure access to clean water.

• Modular Expansion: Shelters can be connected to create larger communal spaces. For example, 4 family shelters can be linked to form a medical clinic, with one shelter used as an exam room, one as a pharmacy, one as a waiting area, and one as a staff room.

• Design: Lida’s emergency shelter team adapted a standard 15-square-meter family shelter design to include waterproof roofing, elevated floors (to prevent flooding during monsoons), and a built-in hygiene module. The design was finalized in 24 hours.

• Deployment: Modules were shipped from Lida’s inventory in Dubai to Kathmandu via air, arriving in 3 days. From Kathmandu, they were transported to the disaster zone by truck.

• Assembly: Lida trained 100 local volunteers in assembly (a 2-hour training session). Each team of 3 volunteers assembled 2 shelters per day. All 500 shelters were set up in 10 days—just in time for the first monsoon rains.

• High Material Costs: Traditional building materials (bricks, concrete, wood) are often scarce in rural areas, requiring transportation from cities—which adds significant cost.

• Lack of Skilled Labor: Rural areas often have a shortage of skilled construction workers (carpenters, masons), making traditional construction slow and low-quality.

• Harsh Environments: Rural areas may experience extreme weather (droughts, floods, extreme heat) that damages substandard housing.

• Limited Infrastructure: Many rural areas lack access to the power grid or clean water, requiring housing solutions that are off-grid-friendly.

• Reducing Material Costs: Modules are lightweight and compact, reducing transportation costs. Lida also sources local materials (e.g., wood for interior finishes) when possible to lower costs further.

• Minimizing Labor Needs: The easy-assemble design allows rural residents (with minimal training) to build their own homes, eliminating the need for skilled labor.

• Withstanding Rural Environments: Shelters are equipped with weather-resistant sandwich panels and off-grid utility systems (solar panels, rainwater harvesting systems) to adapt to rural conditions.

• Permanent Homes: These 30–50 square meter homes are designed for long-term use, with 1–2 bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom. They are equipped with solar panels for electricity, rainwater harvesting systems for water supply, and insulation to withstand extreme weather.

• Community Buildings: Lida provides prefab mobile schools, clinics, and community centers for rural areas. These buildings are designed to be multi-purpose—for example, a school can double as a community meeting space in the evenings.

• Agricultural Housing: For farming communities, Lida offers small 15–20 square meter houses that can be used as farmworker housing or storage facilities for tools and equipment.

• Design: Lida’s rural home design was a 40-square-meter, 2-bedroom house with:

• • Polystyrene core sandwich panels (to withstand Kenya’s hot, dry climate and provide insulation from the sun).

• • Solar panels (to address frequent power outages in rural areas).

• • A rainwater harvesting system (to collect water during the rainy season for use in the dry season).

• • An outdoor kitchen (aligned with Kenyan cultural practices, where most cooking is done outdoors).

• Local Partnerships: Lida partnered with local NGOs to train rural residents in assembly. Over 200 Kenyans were trained as “community builders,” who then led the assembly of homes in their villages.

• Cost Affordability: The homes cost $12,000 each—well within the budget of low-income families, who were able to purchase them with a government-backed low-interest loan (repayable over 10 years).

• Remote Work Sector: “We’ve used Lida’s houses on 5 remote construction projects, and each time, they adapt to our needs—whether we need dormitories, offices, or a medical clinic,” said Sarah Johnson, logistics manager at a global construction firm. “Their versatility saves us time and money, and our workers are happier.”

• Backyard Office Users: “I bought a Lida office for my graphic design business, but now I use it as a guest room when family visits,” said Jennifer Lee, a Seattle-based designer. “Being able to switch its use without major renovations is amazing. It’s not just an office—it’s an investment in my home.”

• Disaster Relief Organizations: “In disaster recovery, you need solutions that can do more than one thing,” said Dr. Rajesh Kumar of the IRC. “Lida’s shelters start as homes, then become schools or clinics. That’s the versatility that makes a real difference for communities.”

• Rural Communities: “Lida’s home isn’t just a house—it’s a way for us to build a better life,” said Mary Wanjiku of Kenya. “It’s cool in the summer, has electricity, and it’s ours. I never thought I’d own a home like this.”

• Eco-Tourism Lodges: Small, sustainable prefab houses designed for remote eco-tourism sites, with features like composting toilets, solar panels, and natural materials for exteriors.

• Temporary Healthcare Clinics: Mobile clinics equipped with medical equipment (exam tables, refrigerators for vaccines) that can be deployed to rural areas or disaster zones.

• Student Housing: Compact, affordable prefab houses for college campuses, designed to be easily assembled and disassembled as student enrollment changes.