PREFABRICATED

BUILDING
Vargas, Valentina
Vsquez, Carla

CONTENT:
Prefabricated housing

Differences in the construction types

Manufactured homes
Construction sites

The History of the prefabricated building

Prefabs and the modernist movement

INTRODUCTION
Prefabrication is the practice of

assembling components of a structure in

a factory or other manufacturing site,
and transporting complete assemblies or
sub-assemblies to the construction site
where the structure is to be located.

PREFABRICATED HOUSING
"Prefabricated building is a type of building
that consists of several factory-built components
or units that are assembled on-site to complete
the unit. Prefabricated are built in:

Components (panels)
Modules (modular homes)
Transportable sections (manufactured
homes)
Mobile homes (houses on wheels)

DIFFERENCES IN THE
CONSTRUCTION TYPES
Mobile and manufactured houses are constructed in

accordance with the HUD building codes in the U.S.

while modular houses are constructed in accordance with
the IBC (International Building Code).
Modular homes are created in sections, and then
transported to the home site for construction and
installation.
Manufactured homes are built onto steel beams, and are
transported in complete sections to the home site, where
they are assembled.
Mobile homes built on wheels, which can be moved

MANUFACTURED HOMES
Constructing manufactured homes typically involves

connecting plumbing and electrical lines across the

sections, and sealing the sections together.

They can be built onto a permanent foundation, and if

designed correctly, can be difficult to distinguish from a

stick-built home.

Manufactured homes are typically purchased from a retail

sales company, initially assembled by a local contracting

company, and follow-up repairs performed by the
manufactured home company under warranty.

 Manufactured homes, once assembled, go

through a "settling-in" period (the home will

settle into its location):

During this period, some drywall cracking

may appear, and any incorrectly installed
appliances, wiring, or plumbing should be
repaired.

A manufactured home it is not immediately

inhabitable; appropriate ventilation, heating,
plumbing, and electrical systems must be
installed by a set-up crew, otherwise, the
buyer must wait for the manufacturer repair
team or do it themselves.

CONSTRUCTION SITES
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 zoned for manufactured homes.

McDonalds use prefabricated structures

for their buildings, and set a record of

constructing a building and opening for
business within 13 hours

THE HISTORY OF THE

PREFABRICATED BUILDINGS
Possibly the first advertised prefab house was the Manning

Portable Cottage. A London carpenter, H. Manning, constructed

a house that was built in components, then shipped and
assembled by British emigrants.
The peak year for the importation of portable buildings to
Australia was 1853, when several hundred arrived.These have
been identified as coming from Liverpool, Boston and Singapore
(with Chinese instructions for re-assembly).
In Barbados the Chattel house was a form of prefabricated
building which was developed by emancipated slaves who had
limited rights to build upon land they did not own. As the
buildings were moveable they were legally regarded as chattels.
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.

 The world's first prefabricated, pre-cast

panelled apartment blocks were pioneered in

Liverpool
Prefabricated homes were produced during the
Gold Rush in the United States, when kits were
produced to enable Californian prospectors to
quickly construct accommodation
Prefabricated housing was popular during
World War II due to the need for mass
accommodation for military personnel.
Many buildings were designed with a five-ten
year life span, but have far exceeded this, with
a number surviving today.

PREFABS AND THE

MODERNIST MOVEMENT
Architects are incorporating modern designs into the

prefabricated houses of today, prefab housing should no

longer be compared to a mobile home in terms of
appearance.
There has also been an increase in the use of "green"
materials in the construction of these prefab houses.
Since these homes are built in parts, it is easy for a home
owner to add additional rooms or even solar panels to the
roofs.
There is a zeitgeist in architectural circles and the spirit of
the age favors the small carbon footprint of "prefab."
Eminent amongst the new breed of off the shelf luxury
modernist products is the Perrine pod, which has found
favor worldwide for its green credentials and three day
build time.

CONCLUSION
Because of the design simplifications

modern architecture provides many in

the manufactured housing sector
generally feel that modern
architecture designs are better suited for
prefab home construction.

 Prefabricated housing