Peter DeMaria on the Future of Prefab
Some people assume that yet-to-be-invented high-tech materials and systems will be the saviors of our construction industry.
New technology can be great, but some of the answers to our building challenges are right in front of us. We need to look more closely at existing materials and systems from commercial construction and other industries and ask how they might be adapted, adjusted, or recycled to meet our domestic architecture needs. It’s less glamorous than creating renderings of new home designs, but we need to look at how to design efficient processes that leverage the economies of scale inherent in existing industrial components and systems. Within this framework, a good architect can create more affordable housing and yet still have design freedoms.
Articles
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Joel Turkel on the Future of Prefab
The future of prefab is an increasingly nonarchitectural problem.
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Leo Marmol on the Future of Prefab
More and more people are coming to us informed about the complete benefits of prefab construction.
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101 Prefab
Everything you wanted to know about prefab but were afraid to ask! We've tapped the brain behind popular web resource FabPreFab to explain the birds and bees of manufactured housing.
Products
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Prefab Prototypes: Site-Specific Design for Offsite Construction
A detailed guide to six different prefab systems, weighing the pros and cons of each and explaining how they work.
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Updating Germany: 100 Projects for a Better Future
The United States needs a guide like this: 100 often sarcastic, frequently impossible, but reliably thought-provoking ideas for urban and architectural improvements throughout Germany. Proposing…
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Tools
Attractive enough to go straight from the oven to an elegant dinner table, the oven pans double as serving dishes that fit into a purpose built wooden tray made of natural oak with indentations…
Dwell Collection
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Mapping Prefab
In just under ten years, dozens of prefab projects from all over the world have graced the pages of Dwell. We sifted through our archives to find some of our best-loved pieces, revisiting stories…
Tips
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Think Smaller. Think Efficient.
Don’t target a prefab project and forget to adapt your wish list to fit the capabilities of the task at hand. A prefabricated house or commercial project has certain limitations, one of which…
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Prefab is Not Necessarily Less Expensive
It certainly can be, but as with any project it depends on the architect, the fabricator, and how everything is organized in anticipation of installation at your site. Your architect needs to be…
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The More Complete, the More Prefab
There are quite a few companies out there that are marketing “prefab” but not all of them are designing and producing entirely finished products. Many projects we have seen appear to be…
Videos
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The Future of Play
For an article on the future of playground design, appearing in the December/January 2009 "Future" issue, artists Mike Perry and Jim Stoten not only collaborated on the illustration that…
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The Future of Driving
San Francisco–based industrial designers Mike Simonian and Maaike Evers sit down with Dwell's Editor-in-Chief, Sam Grawe, to talk about their thoughts on the future of transportation.
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Design Leader: Michelle Kaufmann
As part of our Design Leaders video series, prefab specialist Michelle Kaufmann shares her philosophy on sustainable modular construction.
Events
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Future Cities
IJNR, The International Journal of Neighbourhood Renewal is pleased to announce the staging of Future Cities, a New Annual Conference Series dedicated to the sustainable development of our Cities…
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Prefab Education Workshop
Join Ryan E. Smith, professor of architectural technology and author of Prefab Architecture, in the Prefab Education workshop on January 13th, 2012. Learn about the history of industrialized…
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Sustainable Futures
This exhibition showcases a range of design and architecture projects that explore the most important issues associated with sustainability. Celebrated through a selection of pioneering and forward…
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Prefab Prototypes: Site-Specific Design for Offsite Construction
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by Björn DahlströmAttractive enough to go straight from the oven…
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We continue our coverage of the 2012 Stockholm Furniture and…
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It's about mid-way through the 2012 Stockholm Design Week and…
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“@archpaper: Move over Ice Cube, Moby jams to #architecture, launches new blog about Los Angeles: http://t.co/eVKNB5WK”
Just reviewed this architect's work on Logical Home website and DeMaria Design website. His comments are to the point and his work is quite brilliant.
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