Prefab Now (Hardcover)

Prefabricated and modular homes are essentially buildings whose components are built at a factory, then shipped and assembled on site on a foundation that has been constructed in advance. These homes were once viewed as nothing more than modest, inexpensive shelters, lacking in any design aesthetic and offering only the basics required for habitation. This is no longer the case. Prefab design has emerged as a way for the 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. Repetitive, linear configurations once made a prefabricated house easy to spot. Architects are using new construction technologies and materials to create complex designs that make every prefabricated home look custom-designed. Clients are able to choose among a variety of modules to arrive at a home that is uniquely their own. And thanks to the internet, these houses can be ordered from all over the world. European architects have long embraced the notion that prefab design has merits, and many of their designs have inspired many U.S. architectural firms to create distinct lines of modular and prefab housing. Today, new models and designs, like cars, are being introduced on an almost annual basis. Elaborate plans and drawings accompany each project, and the book offers a broad geographical range of homes from the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia.