Inside the prefab house

Abstract

The investigation into modern prefabrication has enjoyed much attention in the architecture community for over a century, but until very recently, the literature documenting its significance has contained a notable omission. The techniques and applications of prefabrication of the interior have been evident for thousands of years. Prefabrication in the built environment owes much of its advancement to concepts investigated in terms of interior architectural elements and components, and thus it deserves closer examination. The evolution of the prefab house decidedly includes the development of ideas and integration of prefabricated interior components. The notion of prefabrication, and particularly the prefabricated dwelling, receives continued attention by architects and designers for reasons of efficiency and affordability of construction coupled with a current shift toward, or return to, sustainable technologies, designs, and environments. 1 .