PREFABRICATED BUILDING Vargas, Valentina Vásquez, 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