Description
Book SynopsisAs 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 19th century, 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.
Trade Review'concise, organized, well-written… Highly recommended.'
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Table of Contents1: Introduction; 2: Foundations in Literature; 3: Utilitarian Prefab, Conceptual Prefab, or a Third Way; 4: Barriers to the Uptake and Success of Prefab Housing; 5: A Problem-Solving Approach for Industrialised House Building; 6: Prefab Housing and the Future of Building; Conclusion. Thematic text boxes: Assembly and Construction Methods for Industrialised House Building; Digital and Automated Fabrication; USA; The Platform Approach; Business Models and Industrialised Construction; Case Study USA: Simplex Homes; Computational Design; Integrated Building Performance; Japan; Construction Logistics and Supply Chain Management; Design for Disassembly; Case Study Japan: Sekisui House; Sweden; Affordability and Industrialised House Building; Case Study Sweden: Boklok; Environmental Systems; Life Cycle Analysis.
