Architect Gerald Morosco has dreamt up an entirely new way of purchasing a home, through a system that’s buyer-driven — and moves more quickly than you might imagine possible. The concept, Design House Homes, brings the whole process — design, purchasing, assembly and manufacturing — into one streamlined system that gets folks into energy-efficient, modular homes in as little as 12 weeks.
Make Buying a Home and Making it Your Own a Breeze With Design House Homes
Morosco was looking to create a new delivery system for quality, affordable housing. He admits this project is quite a departure from the high-end, custom residential projects he and his team typically work on at Gerald Lee Morosco Architects, P.C.; his practice, running since 1989, took to a warm East Liberty office for the last decade.
Morosco likens these new homes to old-school BMWs. Interested buyers simply pick which model they’d like (from the 300, 500 or 700 series) on a pre-approved lot in existing neighborhoods. “It’s really like a car,” he says. “The interior and exterior are fixed, but you can change finishes and accessory packages.” (You get more options based on the model; for example, both the 500 and 700 series come with an elevator option.) The 300 series happens to follow the floorplan of Morosco’s own Southside home.
As an added bonus, Morosco shares that many Pittsburgh neighborhood organizations that have expressed interest in the project would make special financing available to qualified buyers who make 80% of the area median income. And programs like Howard Hanna’s United Purpose Mortgage tackle obstacles many first-time homebuyers face by offering personalized loan products and financial education, too.
Streamlining the Process
Design House Homes follows a simple blueprint that “strips away the unnecessary,” using a trademarked assembly system called Caliper. This factory-controlled manufacturing of components that flawlessly fit together is said to make the homes durable — and built to last.
That’s different from the reality for many homebuyers, Morosco says. Since 1840, we’ve essentially been replicating the same exact model — and, in order to make homes more affordable, cheaper-quality products typically get made. Because of this, many homeowners find themselves saddled with repairs within five years. “People are being set up to fail,” he says. “It’s wrong on so many levels.”
Design House Homes instead asks the question — who wants to live where, and what do they want to live in? In order to make homes more affordable, they’re rethinking what can be taken out from material and labor costs. The answer? There’s no developer, no builder, no architect and no real-estate agent.
The homes all have highly-efficient windows and doors, plus the same insulation system throughout — creating an airtight, energy-efficient building envelope. The houses are net-zero-energy ready as well, meaning that if residents choose to add solar panels, they’ll have no utility bills whatsoever. “Although it sounds like hyperbole,” Morosco says, “you could heat the home with a candle.”
Why Complicate Things?
Other elements make the homes streamlined and quickly ready to go. Interior wall pre-finished panels are interchangeable and replaceable. The houses have no drywall and no paint; walls have no trim, and power is distributed in pre-wired baseboard systems.
The seed for this concept was first planted 26 years ago; recently, it’s really gained speed. Morosco, who trained by apprenticeship in the successor firm to the practice of Frank Lloyd Wright, very much believes in passing that along. He’s currently doing so with Design House Homes Project Lead Jack Eschmann, who he said really had “a crush on the idea” and has been integral in getting the project off the ground. Piper Smith has also been working full-time on the project since October 2025.
The team soft-launched their idea with four booths at the 2026 Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show, where they received a lot of attention. They then took the idea in front of the 2026 PCRG (Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group) Annual Summit. Based on excited interest there, together working with Manchester Citizens Council, they identified three available lots on which they’ll assemble three prototype homes. They plan to fully launch sales at the 2027 Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show.
No Fear, a Warranty is Here
Buyers of these houses receive a warranty and service agreement with maintenance provided by Design House Homes. In the resale market, this is golden, Morosco says. Folks can close in 12 weeks, which has banks “doing back flips.”
“This is architecture,” Morosco says, “but this is a manufactured product.” In the end, Design House Homes is asking the important question: “How do we distill down to what’s essential?”
Ultimately, the hope is that communities will evolve and expand over time, weaving together a tapestry of mixed-income families in neighborhoods that already exist. Many will find themselves living in a dream home — one they never imagined could be their very own.
Story by Corinne Whiting
Photos Courtesy of Design House Homes