About Us
Our aim at HABODE is to provide affordable housing in an environment where the cost of owning a home is continually increasing - to the point of being prohibitive for a great many people.
New Zealand society is growing and transforming and it will take innovative thinkers to not only change the housing situation, but to change it quickly.
We believe that manufactured modular housing will be a key player going forward as it saves save time and money - both on manufacturing, and on deploying to a site in a liveable condition. Add then the time and money saved in upkeep, materials and maintenance - time and money to spend enjoying life, and being with your family.
At HABODE we are also designing medium density, multi-level housing options and hope to introduce these within the next 18 months - another solution, we hope, to help alleviate the escalating housing crisis.
With fixed costs but a flexible attitude, at HABODE we never ask ‘why?’ We ask ‘why not?’
Rody Gibson, LBP Design
Inventor of HABODE / Design + Manufacturing Director
With 40 years experience in the design industry, and running his own design agency, Rody has achieved an expansive knowledge of multidisciplinary and industrial design. He has been living, and manufacturing HABODE modular buildings, in China since 2004 and has developed a sophisticated understanding of manufacturing processes. He has built numerous business relationships in China, plus a loyal team of highly skilled people who understand the industry specifics. Rody’s vision is for HABODE to be a key player in changing the face of housing in New Zealand - for the benefit of all people, not just a few.
The history of Habode
HABODE began its development in the new millennium when Rody wanted to build a home away from home. At the time, he was based in Wellington but the location of choice was in Queenstown.
The horror stories of building outside the region you live in are well documented, so Rody began the exercise of designing a house that could be built in one location and then transported to another with relative ease. This required shipping a building across Cook Strait, and then south by either truck or train. The big hurdle was the Awatere Road Rail Bridge just north of Seddon which, at the time, was unpassable with a wide load.
A solution was needed to contract a house for transportation, then to expand it once on site. And so the idea for a modular HABODE was born.
Scale models of the house were constructed to test the concept before a series of 100% prototypes were built and, in 2006, HABODE began its initial production run in Guangdong Province, China.
Since that time, multiple HABODE homes, and worker accommodation units, have been manufactured and deployed in New Zealand, Western Australia and Burkina Faso, Western Africa. Current prefab designs include multi-level dwellings and smaller units.
Over the years, team members have lived in HABODE buildings periodically to monitor wear and tear, and the ‘living experience’ of the house, in order to develop future improvements. You can be assured that the HABODE home you buy is the most up to date and perfected version yet.