Archiblox review: architect-designed prefab, Melbourne

Who they are

Archiblox designs prefabricated modular homes from a studio in Richmond, Melbourne. Their FAQ says the modules are built at the facility of their Allied Construction Partner, and their process page says you sign the building contract with that partner, with Archiblox managing the project. The site doesn't name the partner.

The site trades as The Archiblox Group. ABN Lookup shows Archiblox Group Pty Ltd (ABN 71 624 217 232) active since February 2018, based in Victoria (postcode 3121).

The brand has a long design record. Their site lists a 2015 Architecture & Design Sustainability Award (Single Dwelling), a 2015 International Green Interiors Award (Residential New Build), a 2015 Sustainia top ten finalist spot, the Victorian Government Manufacturing Hall of Fame, Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies 2016 (Architecture) and a 2018 Australian Construction Awards Build Excellence Award.

Company history

An earlier company trading as Archiblox, building modular homes since 2010, went into voluntary liquidation in early 2020 (Domain, March 2020). The brand today is run by Archiblox Group Pty Ltd, a separate company, active on ABN Lookup since February 2018. If you're comparing, your contract is with today's company and its construction partner, so check both names on the register.

What they make

Four published ranges plus custom work. Their enquiry form also lists granny flats, extensions, townhouses and duplexes, cabins and commercial. Floor areas aren't published for the Smart and Base designs.

Their FAQ says modules are usually up to 5.0 m wide and 16 m long, with up to 18 m possible, and can be joined for bigger layouts. Standard ceilings are 2.7 m in living areas and 2.55 m in bedrooms and bathrooms. The Base range is pitched as simpler, low-maintenance family homes; the Backyard Room as a studio, office, retreat or granny flat.

How they build

• Steel frame. Their FAQ says it avoids weak points and flexing when the module is lifted and lowered.
• R-batt insulation and double glazing as standard. Materials chosen for low VOC output.
• Footings are an engineered pile system arranged by Archiblox, with bored piers on sloping sites. A soil report is organised by them and included in the project cost.
• Energy: a minimum 6 stars is standard. They say designs can reach 7 to 10 stars, or go off grid with solar, batteries and tanks, depending on orientation and your choices.
• The Carbon Positive House is designed to make more energy than it uses, with solar panels, water recycling, an indoor garden and cooling tubes that draw cool air from the ground.
• Build time: 12 to 20 weeks for Smart designs, longer for custom. The crane lift is done in a day, then about two weeks of connections and finishing, plus 4 to 6 weeks or more where there's a lot of site work.

Price

Published prices are limited to two ranges (as published, checked October 2026): the Backyard Room 2 from $77,450, the Backyard Room 3 from $108,400, and the Carbon Positive House at $400,000 to $500,000 including GST on standard inclusions, with upgrades, site works and transport worked out per project. Every other design is price on application. Their enquiry form's budget bands start at $200,000 to $300,000.

Other costs they publish:

• Crane: about $5,000 for a simple lift up to about $25,000 for a complex one
• Town planning: charged separately
• Design package and documentation: priced per project; ask for the figure for your state
• Progress claims: 5% deposit, 10% base, 15% frame, 10% roofing, 10% windows, 20% lock-up, 5% linings, 7.5% joinery and 10% carpentry. That adds to 92.5%, so ask how the balance is claimed.

What's included, and what sits on top

Included, as their FAQ puts it

• A turnkey fit-out with fixtures, fittings and cooking appliances, per their Standard Inclusions document (not on the site; ask for it)
• Ceiling fans in bedrooms and living areas
• The soil report and the engineered pile footings, arranged by Archiblox
• Delivery and installation, with decks finished on site where your design has them
• A guided handover and a 90-day defects period

On top, or not stated

• Crane hire (see the figures above)
• Service connections. Not in the standard inclusions; you can arrange them or have Archiblox project manage them
• Town planning, which they can prepare and lodge
• Transport and site works on the Carbon Positive House, and per project elsewhere
• Air conditioning, fireplaces and hydronic heating
• Building approval and landscaping: their site doesn't say; ask

Where they deliver

Their site lists Victoria, New South Wales, the ACT, Queensland, Tasmania and South Australia, and the enquiry form adds Western Australia, Far North Queensland, the Northern Territory and international. They'll work on remote sites if a truck can reach them. Their site doesn't say where a Queensland home would be built or who installs it here.

Warranty and licence

Their FAQ says projects use an HIA contract and come with a 6-year home owners warranty. Their process page says the HIA or MBA contract is between you and the Allied Construction Partner, and that contract covers warranties and insurances. A 90-day defects period follows handover.

No builder licence number is published on their site. Because you contract with the construction partner, that company's licence is the one that matters. For a Queensland job it needs a QBCC licence for the class of work, and the QBCC home warranty applies to residential work over $3,300 by a licensed contractor. Ask for the name and number in writing and check it on the QBCC register.

Getting one into the ground in Queensland

Archiblox lists Queensland as a service area, so ask early who does each of these on your job:

1. Block check. Zoning, lot size, flood, bushfire and character overlays, easements, where the sewer and stormwater run, and the slope. This decides what you can put on the block before you spend on a home.
2. Approval. Building approval from a private certifier, plus council planning approval if an overlay or the planning scheme calls for it. Plumbing and drainage work needs its own council approval.
3. Footings. A soil test and an engineer's footing design, then piers, posts or screw piles set out to the home's support points before it arrives.
4. Transport and crane access. A route check, oversize permits and pilot vehicles for wide loads, clearance from power lines and trees, and a firm, level spot for the crane close enough to reach the footings.
5. Connections. A licensed plumber for water, sewer and stormwater, and a licensed electrician for the supply and the connection to the network.
6. Final inspection and home warranty. The certifier's final inspection, the plumbing sign-off, and QBCC home warranty insurance, which covers most residential building work over $3,300 done by a licensed contractor.

Questions to ask them

• The name, ABN and licence number of the construction partner I'd sign with, and its QBCC licence for a Queensland job
• Who holds the home warranty insurance on my job
• Where a Queensland home would be built, and the transport cost to my site
• Who installs and connects services in Queensland
• Floor plans and floor areas for the design I like, and a written price
• The Standard Inclusions document
• The energy rating for my plan on my site
• The crane allowance for my site
• How the last 7.5% of the contract is claimed

Who they suit

Buyers after architect-designed, sustainability-led prefab with a budget from about $200,000 up, who want design, interiors and town planning handled by one studio and are comfortable signing the build contract with its partner once they've checked that company and its licence. The Backyard Room suits anyone after a published-price studio or office.

• Get a quote for the install
• Free block check
• Owner builder and modular
• Reading a builder's quote
• Check a builder's licence