BYLD has arrived in South Africa not with the thunder of bulldozers, but with the click of precision-cut timber slotting into place. BYLD — spelt like a Scandinavian furniture flirtation with dyslexia — is less a company and more a manifesto: Modular Systems. Minimal Impact. It's flat-pack futurism with a conscience.
Born, improbably, out of Davos — the Swiss Mecca of eco-anxiety in alpaca wool — BYLD’s prototype was first unveiled in 2024. Since then, the brand has found a home in the audacious light and long shadows of Joburg, where they've set up a factory, humming with purpose, re-engineering timber into something that looks like the future.
Raoul Skrein of Skrein Studios is the man behind the move. He's a sort of architectural MacGyver meets wellness-retreat whisperer who believes that design should adapt, breathe, and preferably, not destroy the planet.
BYLD’s “pods” are modular marvels: carbon-neutral, well-appointed and sleek in a post-industrial, Scandi-safari way. They don’t so much shout luxury as murmur it with restraint. You can spot one perched in a game reserve or tucked beside a vineyard, all grace, geometry and solar panels, a bit like Lego for grown-ups who’ve outgrown guilt and granite countertops. It’s lodge accommodation reimagined, a nimble solution for people who want privacy, polish and the faint thrill of a smaller footprint.
In an era where the future feels increasingly on fire, BYLD’s philosophy is quietly radical: build less, better and beautifully.
And if all else fails, at least you’ll have somewhere stylish to ride out the apocalypse.
Why did you choose South Africa as the manufacturing base and launch site for BYLD’s first pods?
Raoul Skrein: There’s often a gap between the image of rural escapes as nature-friendly and the actual environmental impact they have. At BYLD, we want to offer a real solution — structures that allow people to experience nature in a meaningful way, without damaging the very environment they enjoy.
The ICON we built for the World Economic Forum 2025 in Davos, together with Hub Culture and The Visionist Advisors, gave us a lot of international visibility. With “regeneration” being a key theme this year, many nations were looking for ways to boost their economies through tourism. That’s where we see BYLD fitting in: we provide scalable, full-service solutions for ecotourism.
South Africa stood out to us for several reasons. Its landscapes and biodiversity are unmatched, and it has huge potential to grow its ecotourism sector. We respect these environments so much that we invested considerably into R&D to figure out how to build without leaving a trace — neither on the land nor on the climate.
This country also has access to sustainable and alien timbers, which we use as our primary construction materials. Combined with strong local manufacturing partners, we’re ready to deliver at scale while staying true to our low-impact philosophy.
The BYLD pods are described as low carbon luxury residences — how do you achieve the balance between sustainability and high-end design?
RS: Luxury and sustainability were traditionally seen as mutually exclusive. We set out to combine them into “sustainable luxury” — structures that give you the best possible experience and comfort while being conscious of how and from what they're made, where the power comes from and how we deal with sewage.
It also has a lot to do with comfort systems. We’d like to phase out the use of conventional air conditioning, currently demanded by the market, replaced by smart passive heating and cooling systems in combination with thermal storage. These systems are more comfortable and use a fraction of energy.
What's behind the choice to use engineered timber, and what role did material innovation play in BYLD’s sustainability goals?
RS: Engineered timber is at the core of our construction approach. It’s a hi-tech material, strong, durable, with a low-carbon footprint. In South Africa, it gives us an efficient way to combine structure and insulation in one. Most of our modules are made from solid slabs of South African pine — nothing else.
Timber is just the start. We work with a range of locally sourced and renewable materials — like clay for tiles or natural fibres for insulation — to reduce impact and support local supply chains.
We also integrate PCM (Phase Changing Materials) into our builds. They help mimic the thermal mass of heavier materials like stone or concrete but with a fraction of the weight, improving comfort and energy efficiency inside the pods.
How is BYLD contributing to SA’s economy, especially in areas such as job creation, skills development and supply chains?
RS: BYLD projects in South Africa are planning to use only local materials and refrain from importing construction components where we can. All the manufacturing is done here with local labour. We're also planning to export our products, made in South Africa, to other countries.
The pods challenge traditional lodge and residential models — what's been the response from the travel and hospitality sector?
RS: Overwhelming. The fact that we can serve both ultra high-end clients and more affordable hospitality operators has created strong demand. Our structures stand out from what people usually associate with safari lodges — especially compared to the typical tensile designs.
Clients value the attention we give to design and detail. The low energy requirements of our buildings are another major advantage — it means they don’t need large, centralised solar farms or, God forbid, diesel generators. This simplifies operations and helps preserve the natural look of the campsite.
How adaptable are BYLD pods for various climates and environments?
RS: Unlike conventional products, our design is directly shaped by the climate it’s placed in. Since we don’t rely on high-energy air conditioning, each pod has to adapt to its environment. For example, whether the climate is humid or dry determines how we approach passive cooling. The distance from the equator impacts how much shading we need — like adjusting the size of the terrace overhang to prevent overheating.
We’ve developed multiple versions of our structures tailored to different climate zones, always aiming to lower-embodied carbon, reduce energy use and maximise comfort.
How do you see BYLD shaping the future of private living, especially for digital nomads, eco-conscious homeowners, or remote tourism operators?
While large-scale hospitality is our core market, there's huge potential in smaller applications — like rural guest houses looking to add a few rooms, or homeowners wanting to build a second dwelling on their land. The flexibility and modularity of our system allow for a wide range of uses, and we’ve been surprised by how many different applications and customisation requests have come our way.
What’s next for BYLD?
The hospitality pods served as a strategic entry point — compact, iterative and ideal for rapid prototyping. They enabled us to refine our modular technologies with speed and precision.
With fully developed modular construction systems in hand, we’re scaling up, adapting these systems for larger modular buildings and full modular communities. In urban environments, this translates to faster assembly, lighter structural loads, lower carbon footprints and dramatically improved indoor climate performance.
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