High-demand areas like the San Francisco Bay Area are experiencing an unprecedented crisis with skyrocketing housing costs. Increasing demand calls for innovative, flexible, and affordable housing solutions. The traditional construction of large-scale, residential high-rises provides little initial housing and incurs high costs. Plus, these methods of construction require far too much time and land for the eventual payoff.
In 2020, people like Rebecca Möller began trying to solve this problem. Drawing from industry expertise and previous construction and real estate development, she realized the process of building housing must be altered and housing construction must be completely reimagined to keep up with the skyrocketing demand. For the greater San Francisco Bay Area, for the rest of the country, and for the ever-evolving Silicon Valley, the traditional methods of construction must be improved.
Instead of asking how to build more on new land, Symbihom asks how to use the buildings already constructed.
A Mission Rooted in Innovation and Community
Symbihom envisions the development of a national platform that can successfully transform and optimize low-performing real estate into safe and modern dwellings in a cost-effective manner. This involves not only adaptive re-use of built structures, but also the construction of stand-alone, fully functional living units that are designed to effortlessly fit into and harmonize with existing built environments.
Because Symbihom only focuses on additions to the buildings, Symbihom is able to increase the supply of housing without expanding the land footprint. This practice is more sustainable as it has less environmental consequences and is able to fully activate the existing social surroundings of the neighborhoods.
Symbihom is able to provide solutions to:
- Housing for family members who want to live nearby and maintain proximity
- Accommodation needs for primary caregivers of seniors or people with disabilities
- Housing for local essential workers such as teachers, healthcare, administrative staff, and other uniformed personnel
- Economic opportunities for homeowners who want to enter the rental market
Symbihom strengthens neighbor-to-neighbor relationships and multi-generational living by providing the units without isolating large sections of the neighborhood.
The Symbihom Difference: A Fully Managed, Turnkey Approach
Each housing conversion begins with specializations in permits, contracts, engineering, and design, but Symbihom tackles that challenge by seamlessly integrating in-house on construction, engineering, design, and housing conversion and eliminating them as an entry point of specializations. Symbihom manages all intricacies of the process, and that in turn, simplifies the housing conversion process.
Every homeowner will have a Symbihom project lead individually assigned to them, so they get the clarity, communication, and accountability to the project, and to them in turn as well.
Every phase of a project to Symbihom is handled internally, which includes:
- Tailored architectural and interior design to each unit
- All comprehensive review and submissions of permits required to proceed
- All management of tasks, people, and processes of construction and projects
- All coordination of installations and assurance of quality
- All guidance and support after installations, as well as after they perform walkthroughs with the owners
Symbihom unites all licensed and specialized professionals in each of the realms:
- Carpentry
- Finishes
- Plumbing
- Electrical
Symbihom does not employ a construction paradigm of subcontractors, and instead utilizes their own people that internally to manage workflow, and thus Symbihom shields it’s quality, control of timelines, and it’s overall experience to the customers.
Permits + Installation Made Easy
The most difficult aspect of all additions to a home, or restructuring, lies in the permits required. Delays on all projects for allotment of time or centred on loose paperwork, inspections, and regulatory barriers.
Symbihom does permits the easy way.
By already HCD-approved factory inspections, a large portion of the compliance is done prior to any installation even taking place. This significantly lessens the duration of on-site labor required, and eliminates most of the leads related to permits. Thus, all projects move quickly and predictably. Minimal disruptions to home owners will be experienced.Fabrication: Precision-Built in the USA
Every one of Symbihom’s living solutions are designed and manufactured in the United States and are coordinated through a streamlined strategy regarding logistics and materials.
Because Symbihom designs, sources, fabricates and assembles components, they are able to ensure:
- Materials are delivered according to schedule
- Installation is completed on time
- Costs are managed and stabilized with transparency
Unlike their competitors, who often experience industrial commonalities like delays and cost overruns, Symbihom is a leader in reliability and consistency from manufacturing to installation.
A Social Impact Business Model: Housing That Helps More Than One Household
Symbihom boasts a purposeful design. Each living solution with Symbihom is helping to solve a housing issue, and at the same time, is helping to solve an additional issue.
A portion of the funds from every Symbihom project, through give back partnerships, provide support for local housing initiatives for families and individuals experiencing homelessness. Homeowners then become part of the community support cycle.
To put it simply:
One family’s new house brings a new house of hope for the other family.
The Symbihom founding vision is mirrored in this business structure: housing is not a product to be delivered; housing is a means to empower and unite the community.
The future of housing shouldn’t only expand outward. It will instead be the result of smart urban planning, the efficient use of existing structures, and the sustainable design of new ones.
Symbihom is scalable, affordable, efficient, and sustainable. It can be replicated and customized in new cities and states. It is greenery and land positive, and vertically integrates health care, accommodation, and housing. In less time than traditional construction, Symbihom designs and builds basements to expand existing family homes and offer new rental housing options.
Symbihom redefines housing and creates homes
Symbihom creates housing stock without simply adding dwellings. It is more than construction. It is streamlined urban planning that integrates sustainable land use and a collaborative development approach.
Symbihom’s new paradigms in urban housing development is precise, adaptable, and powerful to the high demand regions of San Francisco to the rest of the US. Symbihom is transforming homes and entire communities.
We do not need to look too far to see the future of housing.