Housing architecture as an industrial reality. Three recent examples

Abstract

The industrialization of components and constructive systems for theconstruction of housing buildings is the main purpose of this paper.Based on analyses of traditional constructive systems, the articleevaluates the economic and technical possibilities of the contemporaryindustry. This new technology should improve the processes of productionand construction and become the specialization of the building sector.Finally in order to achieve the improvement of housing construction inSpain, industrialization has to solve the new challenges of contemporarysociety as water and energy consumption, working safety. Thisarchitectural approach is illustrated by 3 projects designed and builtaccording to contemporary industrial methodologies. This selectionrepresents the most common housing typologies in our country, anddemonstrates that industrial approach can be a response in a wide rangeof housing applications. These study cases are characterized by:- Low height building as multifamily dwelling. Development of anindustrialized structural system composed by three-dimensional modulesas support of precast floors.- High height building as multifamily dwelling. development of anindustrialized structural system for an eight stories building.- Single-family house. Development of an innovative typology ofindustrialized bioclimatic dwelling.