Elegant, Stormproof, and Ready to Live in Overnight!

Manta North Ray
Architects: Manta North
Area: 79 m²
Year: 2020
Photographs: Leszek Nowakowski
Country: Iceland

Located in one of the most dramatic settings in Iceland, the Manta North Ray house offers stunning ocean views at the front and the Hafnarfjall mountain range—part of a four-million-year-old extinct volcano—at the back. Due to the region’s extreme natural conditions, including winds reaching up to 70 meters per second, the homeowners opted for a prefabricated solution from Manta North to avoid lengthy construction and minimize environmental impact. The house consists of two RAY modules—48 m² and 25 m²—connected by a corridor, creating a total area of 79 m². The main module features a spacious living room, designer kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom, while the smaller module combines a bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom into one open space. Built using eco-friendly materials like Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), the house is equipped with underfloor heating and a thermally treated wooden facade designed to withstand Iceland’s harsh weather. The RAY’s modular design allows for maximum natural light, seamless indoor-outdoor connection, and rapid installation—in just a few hours. One memorable moment was when the house arrived and was ready to live in overnight, surprising a neighbor who had been building his house by hand and returned the next morning to find a fully completed home standing next door.