An Irish family business has launched a new modular home designed to give families greater flexibility without requiring them to move house.

YardBox has unveiled Bothán, a design-led modular home aimed at modern and multi-generational living, with the company positioning the concept as a way for homeowners to make better use of space they already have.

The launch comes as Ireland considers changes to planning rules around habitable accommodation in residential gardens, prompting wider discussion about whether underused domestic space could play a greater role in helping families adapt their homes as their circumstances change.

Rather than presenting garden homes as a standalone solution to Ireland’s housing challenges, YardBox says the launch reflects a broader shift in how people think about what a home needs to provide.

Cormac Carville, co-founder of YardBox, said: "For a long time, the housing conversation has been about how many more homes Ireland needs to build. Clearly that matters, but there’s another question we should be asking: are we making enough of the homes and space we already have?

"Families change. Children grow up, parents get older, people work differently and what we need from our homes at 35 can be completely different from what we need at 55. Yet our houses remain largely fixed.

"We think there's an opportunity to look at home differently and create spaces that can change with people rather than forcing people to move every time their circumstances do."

-- Advertisement --

Named after the Irish word for shelter, Bothán has been developed as a permanent, residential-quality modular home rather than a conventional garden room or temporary structure.

The Bothán 45 provides 45sqm of self-contained living space and is available in one- and two-bedroom configurations. The homes include a kitchen, bathroom, storage, laundry facilities and open-plan living space, while larger 65sqm and 80sqm configurations have also been developed.

YardBox said the homes can be used for a range of purposes, including independent accommodation for ageing parents or adult children, guest accommodation and home working. Where the relevant requirements are met, they could also be used as rental accommodation.

The company believes the flexibility could be particularly relevant to families supporting two generations at the same time.

For older parents, a self-contained garden home could offer independence through a private entrance and living space while keeping family support close at hand. For adult children, it could provide greater independence while they save towards a home of their own, without requiring the wider family to move or undertake a major extension.

Cormac added: "One of the things we were determined about with Bothán was that it shouldn't feel like a compromise. If somebody is going to live in it, whether that's your mum, your son or daughter, or eventually you yourself, it needs to feel like a proper home.

"There is still a perception that modular means temporary or basic. We want to challenge that. Good modular design is about building differently, not accepting less. Our homes provide maximum flexibility and convenience without compromising on comfort, quality or design."

Bothán features contemporary timber cladding, energy-efficient glazing, high-performance insulation and residential-grade construction. The units are precision manufactured offsite before being delivered and installed.

The concept was developed by INTUMODULAR in partnership with YardBox, combining architectural and engineering design with YardBox's experience in modular manufacturing.

YardBox was founded by brothers Cormac and Ciaran Carville and their late father, William. The family brings more than 40 years of experience in building, renovating and extending homes to the modular market.

A completed Bothán showroom is now open to prospective customers at YardBox’s new headquarters in Crossgar, Co. Down.

Cormac said: "The exciting thing for us isn't simply launching another product. It's showing people another possibility.

"A space might begin as somewhere for a parent to live independently, then become accommodation for an adult child, a workspace or something else entirely. The point is that our spaces can evolve as the family does.

"We don't think the future of housing is going to come from one single solution. But making better use of the space we already have has to be part of the conversation."