At the end of the Second World War Winston Churchill promised to manufacture half a million prefabricated bungalows to ease the housing shortage; in the end more than 156,000 temporary 'prefabs' were delivered. Nicknamed 'Palaces for the People', and with convenient kitchens, bathrooms and heating systems, they proved popular and instead of being demolished as intended they were defended by residents who campaigned to keep their family homes and communities. Nearly seventy years later, as the last of these two bedroom homes are being demolished, Elisabeth Blanchet tells the story of these popular dwellings and their gardens and shows the various designs that were produced. Through the stories and memories of residents, she also reveals the communities who were pleased to live in the prefabs.

As we stand on the cusp of a fundamental restructuring of the housing and building industries, this book provides timely insights into the promise of prefabricated housing. The idea of a more industrialised approach to house building is not a new one: since the 19thcentury, designers, inventors, engineers, builders, developers, and entrepreneurs have all been fascinated by the idea of the factory-built, modular home. But international housing affordability crises, emerging technologies, and concerns for more sustainable building practices have given a new urgency to the need to transform building construction in the 21st century.Richly illustrated and drawing on historical examples and contemporary design studies, the book takes the reader through the foundations of prefab, leading up to a discussion of contemporary problems and opportunities. It includes a broad international survey of leading companies and their products, and draws on research from an international team of experts in the field. This book suggests a future scenario for industrialised house building that will both challenge the existing industry and stimulate the public imagination.

For many, the idea of prefab housing may bring to mind trailers and other less desirable images of home life. But this idea couldn't be more wrong! Rather, the newest trends in prefab has emerged as a great way for a design- (and cost-) conscious generation to achieve the dream of home ownership. Today, prefab houses are manufactured to the highest standards of construction and aesthetics. And with the internet, these houses can be ordered from all over the world--affording people everywhere the opportunity to acquire an affordable home of distinction. Prefab Modern explores the best prefabricated houses on the market today, from all over the world along with a resource directory on how you can purchase them. Included are case studies from all over the US and around the world, from top architects and designers. Projects featured include: The Ikea "Blokok House" Michael Graves "Target House" Steven Holl's "Turbulence House" in New Mexico David Hertz's Venice, CA "Concrete House" "SUSI" and "Fred Houses" from Kaufmann, KFN Architects (Australia) Jennifer Siegal's "Office of Mobile Design" and "Seaview House" and many more! Prefab is the inevitable next step to "cool" housing as the market looks for reasonably priced housing for first and second homes. Prefab Modern is the perfect guide to this undeniable and fascinating trend.

"Prefab Architecture . . . is beyond theory, and beyond most of what we think we know about pods, containers, mods, and joints. This book is more than 'Prefabrication 101.' It is the Joy of Cooking writ large for the architecture and construction industries." From the Foreword by James Timberlake, FAIA THE DEFINITIVE REFERENCE ON PREFAB ARCHITECTURE FOR ARCHITECTS AND CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS Written for architects and related design and construction professionals, Prefab Architecture is a guide to off-site construction, presenting the opportunities and challenges associated with designing and building with components, panels, and modules. It presents the drawbacks of building in situ (on-site) and demonstrates why prefabrication is the smarter choice for better integration of products and processes, more efficient delivery, and realizing more value in project life cycles. In addition, Prefab Architecture provides: A selected history of prefabrication from the Industrial Revolution to current computer numerical control, and a theory of production from integrated processes to lean manufacturing Coverage on the tradeoffs of off-site fabrication including scope, schedule, and cost with the associated principles of labor, risk, and quality Up-to-date products featuring examples of prefabricated structure, enclosure, service, and nterior building systems Documentation on the constraints and execution of manufacturing, factory production, transportation, and assembly Dozens of recent examples of prefab projects by contemporary architects and fabricators including KieranTimberlake, SHoP Architects, Office dA, Michelle Kaufmann, and many others In Prefab Architecture, the fresh approaches toward creating buildings that accurately convey ature and expanded green building methodologies make this book an important voice for adopting change in a construction industry entrenched in traditions of the past.

Prefab takes a look at prefabricated housing's fascinating history and imagines its promising future by presenting a group of innovative homes and concepts from over 30 contemporary architects and designers including Shigeru Ban, Thomas Sandell, David Hertz, Greg Lynn, and KFN.

Space-saving, eco-friendly, and cost-efficient, the most innovative pre-fabricated homes around the world—from cabins to containers. Efficient and inexpensive to produce, pre-fabricated homes are an ideal solution to the financial and environmental costs facing the modern homeowner. Their extremely versatile format also makes them adaptable to all kinds of locations, be it a secluded off-the-grid setting or a dense urban area. This survey of the world’s most innovative pre-fab houses explores the full range of possibilities, suitable for anyone interested in clever and creative home-building solutions—no architectural degree required. From carbon-neutral houses to plug-and-play dwellings and converted shipping containers, each chapter explores the varied and exciting ways that people are using pre-fabricated technology to address contemporary challenges. Richly illustrated with photographs and drawings, featuring projects selected by a longtime expert in pre-fab architecture, Pre-Fab Living presents factory-made houses in a new light. Whether designing on a tight budget, crafting something self-sustaining, or simply looking for new spatial ideas, architects, designers, and home builders alike will find it to be an essential source of inspiration.

Prefabricated housing of high design and quality construction has long been an elusive goal for architects, where industry practices, bureaucratic regulations, and cost have always stood in the way— until now. The New York–based firm Resolution: 4 Architecture is revolutionizing prefab housing with their Modern Modular design system. Home designs based on modules of use intended for communal or private spaces are mixed and matched to achieve an infinite number of designs suited to each buyer's site, budget, and lifestyle. Modern Modular, the first book on the critically acclaimed firm, presents fourteen beautifully photographed case studies illustrating each step in their prefab system—from design and fabrication to transportation, siting, and final construction of distinctively modern and surprisingly affordable new homes.

What Are Prefab Homes? Prefab homes, short for prefabricated homes, are dwellings constructed in sections or modules in a factory setting before being transported and assembled on a permanent site. Unlike traditional homes built brick-by-brick on location, prefab homes are largely manufactured off-site and brought together in a fraction of the time. These homes range from simple, affordable models to luxurious, custom-built designs that can rival the finest architecture. This method of construction offers a streamlined, efficient approach to building that has gained popularity in recent years due to its versatility and potential for cost savings. With prefab homes, quality control is often higher, as construction takes place in a controlled environment, reducing errors caused by weather or on-site conditions. Prefab homes are no longer the simplistic or utilitarian structures they were once perceived to be. Today, they encompass a wide variety of styles, from ultra-modern to traditional, proving that prefabrication can accommodate any design preference.

The most completely finished variation of industrialized housing is the manufactured home. Many people still refer to these homes as mobile homes, even though they are rarely, if ever, moved. Developing with Manufactured Homes illustrates how the manufactured housing industry functions & how the homes are constructed. It explains how developers can make use of the industrialized approach to building, in lieu of the increasingly cumbersome "stick" building process. Elementary concepts in land selection, acquisition, the public approval process, development & construction are not covered in this book, except to the extent that the use of manufactured housing would dictate a significant variation in practice as compared to building homes on site. The primary focus throughout the text is on fee simple development-merging the house with the land to create a singular title of real estate. Although the emphasis is on subdivisions, planned unit developments & urban infill lots as opposed to the development of land-lease communities, many of the subjects covered are applicable to all of the above modes of land use. This book is an indispensable guide for any builder, developer or student interested in taking advantage of the opportunities in manufactured housing development.

"Prefabricated architecture is turning into an important trend in the world of contemporary design. The modularity allows for greater design flexibility and makes them more affordable. Nowadays, architectural projects made with recycled loading containers are becoming increasingly popular and, considering the need for more sustainable construction, increasingly necessary. This book presents 14 Eco-Friendly architectural projects committed to environmental conservation based on sustainable construction, featuring prefabricated homes made of wood, steel, etc., as well as container homes."--Page 4 of cover.