Prefabricated Housing. Construction and Design Manual

Prefabricated housing, often associated with blighted urban land­scapes and monotonous grey boxes, has evolved into an approach to housing with a wealth of aesthetic and structural possibilities. Modern methods of constructing and assembling prefab buildings with large panels – methods that date back to the 19th century – are experiencing a renaissance. This is true across the world, from Vancouver and New York to London and Berlin through to Astana and Singapore. Moreover, prefabrication now also serves a wider range of purposes. In Moscow, Europe’s largest metropolitan area with 16 million people, it is primarily used ­­­­as a means to provide ­affordable homes. But in certain developed countries, prefabrication is surprisingly also used to build exclusive, upmarket properties.
This construction and design manual presents a range of ­different production and assembly methods currently used in the field of prefabricated housing. The manual particularly focuses on ­efficiency, sustainability, and market relevance, and explores strategies for ­organising processes while presenting best-practice examples that reflect the latest trends. Furthermore, the manual investigates the potential of prefabricated housing on historical and architectural grounds as well as from a structural engineering standpoint. It puts forward ten design parameters for prefabricated housing and presents 15 noteworthy examples to make a fresh contribution to the debate on affordable housing today.
Vol. 1: Technologies and Methods Vol. 2: Buildings and Typologies