Witold Rybczynski on the Prefab Fad
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 08. 8.07
Witold Rybczynski does another one of his trademark slideshows on Slate, noting that the first house he ever designed was a prefab and it has stood the test of time. However he continues with " the current vogue for prefabs is more about industrial chic than affordability." and ends with quoting Colin Davies: " "The strength of the prefabricated house lies in its popularity, its cheapness and the industrial base from which it operates," he writes. "These are precisely the areas in which modern architecture is weakest. Modern architecture is unpopular, expensive and divorced from industrial production. That is why whenever it has tried to extend its field to include the territory of the prefabricated house it has failed and been forced to retreat." Rybczynki concludes "The current generation of Modernist prefabs is unlikely to fare any better." I hope he is wrong. ::Slate
Follow @TreeHugger on Twitter & get our headlines with @TH_rss!
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Mini Blinds are Boring—Craft Them into Chic Fabric Shades
- Zero Waste—The Newest Eco-Fashion Innovation?
- Renovation Nation Episode: Portland, OR—Rock, Paper, Scissors, Concrete
- Is Your Kitchen Garden Toxic? 5 Ways To Fix Polluted Soil For Safe Homegrown Food
- 5 Reuses for: Orphan Women's Shoes
- Grow Your Veggies Upside-Down!
I think to some degree he is right, I love modern chic architecture (livingHomes, Michelle kaufmann) but the prices they offer are incredibly high. Even with the bargain MK house the glidehouse, you are still looking at $300-500k for the house itself, not including the land, so a total depending on the location of at least $400-750k. That doesn't exactly scream affordability. Very cool houses though:-)
I agree. they're too expensive. i wish i could afford one. but i cant. but i guess im not the target audience.