Pre-Fab Living

From cabins to containers, this international overview showcases a new generation of innovative homes that save space, are kinder to the planet and cost less to build

This survey of the world’s most innovative and successful examples of pre-fabricated homes explores the full range of possibilities, open to anyone seeking to find clever and up-to-date solutions for building their own home. From net-zero houses to plug-and-play dwellings and converted shipping containers, each chapter explores the varied and exciting ways that architects and designers are using pre-fabricated technology to address today’s living and world challenges. A reference section includes in-depth essays, which explore the latest manufacturing methods, trends and technologies, presenting a wide range of possibilities to suit every need, taste and desire.

Richly illustrated with photographs and drawings, with projects selected by a long-time expert in pre-fab architecture, this fresh take on new solutions presents the factory-made house in a new light. Whether designing on a tight budget, crafting something self-sustaining or simply looking for new spatial ideas, this is an essential and future source of inspiration for architects, designers and home-builders.

Contents List:

Introduction: Pre-fabrication: Types and Methods • New Design Trends • Net-zero Homes • Innovative Communities • Japanese Homes • Narrow Designs • Country Dwellings • Plug-and-Play • Apartment Buildings • Shipping Containers • Adaptable Interiors • Additions

About the Author:

Avi Friedman is a professor of architecture at McGill University, Canada, an honorary professor at Lancaster University, UK, and president of Avi Friedman Consultants, Inc., a design firm with a focus on affordable and sustainable residential environments. He has written fourteen books and his design work and projects have been cited in magazines, newspapers and TV shows, including Good Morning America, Dream Builders and Stewart Brand’s How Buildings Learn. In 2000, Wallpaper* included him in their list of ten people ‘most likely to change the way we live’.