“Somehow, in the time I’ve been involved in architecture, no one has succeeded in applying the power of productization to residential real estate,” Ingels explains. “The things we make many of—iPhones, for example—become better and better and cheaper and cheaper because we remain faithful to specific typology.” And that’s what Nabr is keen on doing: continually applying innovation to an already revolutionary product that, down the line, will become even better.

Bjarke Ingels, Roni Bahar (WeWork's former director of development) and Nick Chim (former head of Sidewalk Labs) experts in real estate, architecture, and tech, respectively, have partnered to form a new housing company; Nabr. This new housing company offers residents custom and sustainable apartments at scale with a path to ownership and aims to shop for a sustainable – and affordable – apartment as easy as buying an electric car.

The startup comes as a response to the real estate industry's lack of transparency and inefficiency. Ingels, Bahar, and Chim combined their expertise in each field and developed a new and improved urban living by focusing on attainability, sustainability, and individuality. Roni Bahar explains that following the United States' current housing crisis, consumers are left with only two options: paying high rent for a tiny apartment in the city or going for houses in the suburbs for a lower price and bigger scale, in addition to the fact that single-family homes are being built a lot more than apartments.

Designed by Bjarke Ingels, Nabr has offered the first clues of what their homes of the future may look like. Nabr's first building will be launched at 415 South 3rd Street, San Jose, California, in 2023. The real estate tech startup has debuted its first apartment building, 125 unit SoFA One -named for its prime spot in San Jose's colorful arts district, South of First Area, and inspired by the 100-year-old lofts in New York City's Tribeca and SoHo neighborhoods. The project will consist of more than 100 homes personalized by each owner.

Since Nabr's goal is to facilitate and simplify the process of buying net-zero emission apartments, the platform uses technology and productization to increase the production of apartments being built in major cities. The software digitizes the design process and communication with the supply chain, selling directly to the consumer with buildings that are Nabr-branded. It will allow residents to customize their space using Nabr's digital platform and choose between different designs and financing packages. 

"Lofts have structural flexibility, and our idea is to offer 21st-century lofts in a base building that has a lot of character. There's a lot of souls to work with: material, texture, and warmth," Ingels says. "Our goal is to pioneer a new sustainable urban lifestyle. At SoFA One, residents have access to a Scandinavian standard of quality of life, yet they are still in the hub of Silicon Valley, America's greatest innovation ecosystem. Residents get the best of both worlds".

The project features 125 residences with a shared rooftop park, electric vehicle charging stations, bike and personal storage, a community garden, access to wellness and fitness facilities, and ground-level retail spaces. The project will break ground in summer 2022, with occupancy expected by summer 2023, but prospective clients can already join the waitlist.

Each apartment is carbon neutral in operations, with an all-electric design and energy-efficient facade. SoFA One features access to natural light and abundant air circulation due to the high ceilings and panoramic windows. The structure is built with locally-sourced North American timber and offers residents a space to grow and cultivate their greenery indoors and outdoors.

The waitlist for Nabr Homes will be open to everyone, with applicants able to fill out specific details on the units they are seeking. When the service matches the applicant's preferences to an available unit in their area, the applicant will be invited to Nabr's Design Studio to select and customize the home, including layout and interior design.

Applicants will then be given the option of buying their unit through traditional means, such as in cash or via a conventional mortgage lender or opt for Nabr's Lease First avenue. For those who do not want to buy, Nabr has a LEAP program that offers residents the ability to lock in the purchase price for an option period of up to five years. 

In addition to SoFA One, Nabr states they plan to open more buildings in the city, each with unique designs and price points. The company also envisions future expansion beyond California, depending on market demands.

"We founded Nabr to build a high-volume, integrated housing production system, developing the product in partnership with strategic supply chain partners from start to finish. We are starting in the Bay Area, where residents face a costly real estate market that few can afford to buy. Our long-term vision is to deliver projects in less than half the time and at price points affordable to middle-income households nationally," Nick Chim, Co-Founder and CTO at Nabr says.

All images © The Boundary

> via Bjarke Ingels