PRE FABRICATED ARCHITECTURE/HOUSES

Prefabricated (prefab) housing is an all purpose term used to describe any built home that is partly offsite. Prefab is built in factory, which means lower cost and higher quality building components than many site homes, the most important is prefab and sustainability are great match .
Prefabricated' may refer to buildings built in components ,example panels, modules or transportable sections and may also be used to refer to, houses on wheels. Although similar in nature, the methods and design of the three can vary wildly. There are two-level home plans, as well as custom home plans. There are also large differences in the construction types. Prefab homes are relativity cheap when compared to many existing homes on the market .

• Modular homes are homes that are created in sections, and then transported to the home site for construction and installation into finished home. All of the material from framing, roofing and plumbing to cabinetry interior finish and electrical are identical to what you would find in conversional site built homes. Modular home is typically installed and treated like a regular house, for financing, appraisal and construction purposes, and are usually the most expensive of the three. Although the sections of the house are prefabricated, the sections, or modules, are put together at the construction much like a typical home..
• Manufactured homes, known also as mobile homes. In the past manufactured homes were considered similar to the  modular homes ,in that they are made of boxes ,this similarity accounts for much of the mistaken impression that  the two  products are identical, the fact that both two types of home are manufactured  in a factory also confuses people. The difference between manufactured home and modular home is quiet substantial ,manufactured homes are built only to preemptive federal codes governed by  a given country while modular homes, along with stick,pre cut and panelized homes are always built in compliance of state or local building codes. Mobile homes are homes built on wheels that are able to be moved from place to place. Mobile homes and manufactured homes can be placed in mobile home parks, and manufactured homes can also be placed on private land, providing the land is appropriately zoned for manufactured homes.
• Panelized homes are constructed out of factory-built wall panels, that are typically 8 feet tall and 4 feet to 40 feet long.Some paneling systems include plumbing wiring  and insulation already installed, while others  include only framing and external sheathing(open panel system)panel system is assembled into a home  by using crane to set them into a foundation                         
• Pre cut homes are assembled out of the same basic sticks as conversional homes except that the  correct pieces are pre selected and cut to size at a factory. Of the four systems of  building,Pre cut kits provide the least factory assistance to the builders ,since the factory does not assemble  any of the building material.

 

 All four building systems combine engineering know how and factory production methods to design  and build more efficiently and greater quality control.when done, it results to low cost and quality control results to better product.  More and more architects are incorporating modern designs into the prefabricated houses of today.

Prefabricated housing 16^th-17^th century.

The history of prefab houses starts with Britain global colonization efforts, in 16-17^th century settlements in today’s India,Middle east,Africa,Newzland,Canada and USA required rapid building initiatives. Since British were not familiar with many of the materials in abundance in the various locations worldwide. The earliest cases recorded  was in 1624,where houses were prepared in England and sent to fishing village of the cape Anne in what is known today as Massachusetts and in 1700s and early 1800s was time for Australian settlements by England.

It was reported that the earliest settlement in new south Wales was home to prefabricated hospital.Storehouses,and cottages that were shipped to Sydney arriving in 1790.thesw simple shelters were timber framed and had timber panel roofs, floors and walls.

. Another interesting building was the prefabricated hospital that the British Army deployed in 1855 during the Crimean War designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel with innovations in sanitation, ventilation and a flushing toilet.

In the United States ,Prefabricated homes were produced during the Gold Rush , when kits were produced to enable Californian prospectors to quickly construct accommodation. Homes were available in kit form by mail order in the United States in 1908

Prefabricated housing during 1900s

 Before the Industrial Revolution, prefabricated housing was unheard of and nearly impossible. However, as machinery became more and more sophisticated, so did the items that assembly lines were able to produce, and homes became one of those items.

  Everything from a vacation cottage to a multi-family residence could be ordered, delivered and set up, all without leaving home. From the simplest family residence to a veritable mansion, nearly any type of home imaginable could be ordered through Sears & Roebuck.

 Prefab during second world war  

The factory built homes has been a dream about to come since the end of Second World War. Prefabricated housing was popular due to the need for mass accommodation for military personnel. 'Prefabs' were built after the war as a means of quickly and cheaply providing quality housing as a replacement for the housing destroyed during the war. 

Frank L. Wright with pre fabricated homes

Frank Lloyd Wright was the first major architect to try his hand at prefab housing. Beginning in 1911, Wright began designing homes that could be constructed in pieces in a factory and assembled at the house site, making the homes more affordable by reducing labor costs. These houses bore the unmistakable stamp of Wright's vision, setting them apart from the assembly-line homes of Sears & Roebuck.

Walter Gropius with pre fabricated home 

Gropius worked on several different prefabricated housing that would solve post-war Germany's housing shortage problems. Modern, almost Art-Deco in design, Gropius' prefabricated homes influenced not only prefab houses but architecture in total for years to come. 

Prefab spread out in America depression

During Depression-era, Americans were more than ever concerned with affordable housing. Prefabricated home design gained interest throughout the country, both through mail-order catalogs and other outlets.

Designs of prefab houses also began to expand. New materials were used, such as glass in the Keck Crystal house, and steel and iron in the Stran-Steel Houses.

The metal prefab became most recognizable in the Quonset hut, which, developed during World War II for quick housing needs, did more to damage the reputation of the prefab house than to further it

Modern Prefab homes

Today, many architects and designers have revitalized the prefabricated home, designing products that incorporate the best features of prefabrication and the individuality of traditionally built homes. Available in a variety of building materials, styles and price points, modern prefabricated homes build on the rich history of their predecessors.

“If you cant find it design  it”-----is the long standing of irrestable motto of Massimo and Leila vignelli,those iconic designers of everything from from heller plastic melamine plates to the new York subways map. That was the same reason which made prefab architects to make research from one generation to another to bring homes which are affordable enduring, health and now more than ever environmentally sound.

Kaufmann is part of new generation architects, who are modernizing prefabricated houses. They are taking the old idea of prefabrication and reshaping  it to accommodate modern lifestyles and varying climates as well as commitment to the environment.

Even the small changes we make in our daily lives, as well as large decisions we make about the kinds of homes we want to live in can create transformation that will benefit for generation to come.----kaufmann(architect)   

Prefabricated homes are improving like other forms of buildings and the main advantage of a prefabricated home is the potential to reduce the harmful impact on our environment.  This is one of the world’s biggest concerns these days.

 A time line of prefab history

sn	year	event	place
1	1624	The first known prefab, a panelized wood house, is shipped from England to Massachusetts as housing for a fishing fleet.	ENGLAND
2	1849	Kit houses are shipped by rail to accommodate settlements during the California Gold Rush.	USA
3	1908	Sears begins a mail-order Modern Homes program, eventually selling more than 70,000.	USA
4	1929	Buckminster Fuller designs an early version of his Dymaxion House, a metal dome home that is easily disassembled and transported. In 2001, it's immortalized in a Michigan museum as a design	USA
5	1936	Frank Lloyd Wright designs the Usonian House using a grid system that allows for repetition of detail and dimension.	USA
6	1937	The Farm Security Association builds 1,000 semi-prefabs for sharecroppers in Missouri. By 1940, 10,000 more of their prefabs are built.
7	1946	The war stimulates the market, with prefabs playing a role in Truman's Veterans' Emergency Housing Program. The promise of federal support nearly triples the number of prefab builders, to 280.
8	1949	Fuller presents the Wichita House to much fanfare. There are 30,000 expressions of interest. In the end only two are built.	USA
9	1953	Carl Koch designs the Techbuilt House, a wooden frame structure and panelized system that grew to become a great success in the 1950s and early 1960s.	USA
10	1960	Mobile homes now account for 15 percent of the nation's housing, but the rush to build them post-war results in houses that lacked in design. The stigma remains today.
11	1967	The World Expo presents architect Moshe Safdie's Habitat 67, a housing complex built of 158 concrete modules.
12	1974	sraeli architect Zvi Hecker creates the Ramot Housing Complex, a striking beehive-like structure made of 720 polyhedric modules.
13	1996	IKEA introduces its prefabricated BoKlok house. The BoKlok is currently available in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, and the U.K.	EUROPE
14	2000s	A decade of renewed interest in prefabs kicks off: Before long, Rocio Romero's popular LV, Michelle Kaufmann's Glidehouse and Breezehouse, and Marmol Radziner's Desert House are launched and well received.
15	2003	Dwell magazine launches its prefab house competition. A design by Resolution: 4 Architecture is selected for construction in North Carolina.	USA
16	2008	New York's Museum of Modern Art mounts a landmark retrospective of prefabs.	USA

how to get prefab home

when you build  a modular home, three things needed to happen :firstly you need a prefab dealer  to design you prefabricated home plans and determine its building specification. Secondly  you need  a prefab manufacturer to build the home as it is designed and finally you need general contractor to put home together. all these three can be done by a single company or different.

Prefab is following same process of architectural design like meeting clients face to face for the first meeting, but as process has begun, communication can be through emails and sharing online server, then quickly and easily drawings are updated and ideas are exchanged with clients.

 Prefabricated homes can be ordered and transported straight to your block.  You can organize the stumping and plumbing and electrical connections or have it pre ordered into the overall package.

consideration

Although prefabrication and mass production can save time, and sometime money, it has to be intelligent and thoughtful. No one wants to live in a generic box of a house that fails to respect a particular sites climate or orientation. It is very important to work very closely with clients to create a home that is in harmony with the surroundings

Prefab homes like other homes are the building where people spend most of their time. they are the place where people raise their families, where people retreat from outside world to relax and socialize with friends and when the express their own testes and style. Why should they be lackluster and even unhealthy? most people wants homes that are affordable, enduring and now more than ever environmentally friendly sound.

Demands for prefab houses

Prefab homes are increasingly witnessing high demand due to a variety of reasons 

 Speedy construction 

The construction of a prefab home is much faster than a custom built home. Within two months of order time your home is ready.

Since each room is built in a factory, all you have to do is to place your order with the prefab house builders and your house is built, transported to your site and then put together. On the other hand a traditional home can take few months or even a year.

Life nowadays has become very fast and people are perennially short of time. Prefab modern homes are an ideal option as they are faster to build and hassle-free.

 Better Insulation

The insulation of prefabricated walls is superior to traditional houses as they are built in a factory. Although site-built walls are thicker than prefab walls, they still tend to sag over a period of time.

Protection from Bugs

Since modules of prefab houses are built in the factory, they are better protected from bugs. In contrast, traditional homes take a lot of time to build so the timber and other parts are more exposed to damage

Money Saver

With a prefabricated home you get the benefit of designing your own home according to your whims and fancy. You can choose the number of rooms you want, their size, designs, prefabricated homes does not need to much labor force and also is very efficient hence avoiding wastage of material and energy which results to lower cost  

Environment- Friendly

Prefabricated homes are less damaging to the environment as they are made from recycled, renewable materials, use less energy and don’t pollute. As people are becoming more conscious about environment, the demand for eco-friendly green prefab homes is growing.

Better Equipped to Handle Natural Disasters

Prefab homes are stronger than traditional homes. Particularly, for an area which has experienced hurricanes or tornadoes, a prefab is an ideal choice as they can withstand violent storms and other natural disasters better than traditional homes.

Benefits of prefabricated homes

Lower prices, faster and easier to build, and a range of designs to choose from are the chief benefits of prefabricated homes. Prefab homes today are built from such advanced technology that you can’t even tell the difference between a prefabricated house and a traditional house. While a traditional home is built by workmen on a site, a prefabricated house is built in a factory. People from all walks of life are now choosing prefabricatedhomes instead of traditional homes. 

Prefabricated homes cause less damage to the environment than conventional brick homes.  They can be mass produced or fabricated to your design and are quick to build so it will save you rent as brick homes tend to be dragged out with different contractors’ being involved. They will cost a lot less, than a double brick home by far.  They can be insulated to reduce the cost of heating and cooling. Not only that they are environmentally friendly.

 The real beauty of one of these is if you have a real bad neighbor you can up and take your home and chattels to another town without any problems,  

Disadvantages of prefabricated homes

The cost of your prefabricated home will depend on the site your home will be put on.  Site costs will vary from block to block. If you are doing the stumping  yourself then that is not a problem.  If they need to factor that into the price they will need to make varying changes to prices due to level and position of the block where the prefabricated home will be built.

Your choice of prefabricated home will be affected by your particular budget.  Low cost designs may suit those on a tight budget.  Then if you can afford the better styles, then price may not affect your decision. The better high quality designs are made for the higher income families and could be out of your price range