Allison Arieff on the Future of Prefab
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.11.08
Allison Arieff literally wrote the book on modern prefab back in 2002 (with Bryan Burkhart). It was an exciting time, and we all had great hopes and dreams, not all of which panned out. She is interviewed by David Keeps of the Chicago Tribune, and discusses the successes, failures and its future. A few key questions:
David Keeps: How has the movement and market changed in the six years since you wrote your book?A: Well, there are a lot more books on the subject, but the funny thing is that they pretty much all have the same houses in them. I would say that nationally there are only 100 houses of this type that have actually been built. A lot was over-promised and under-delivered, so now we are going through this period of realism where the consumer wants to see what's available and possible. For a lot of people it's still conceptual — architecture on paper.
David Keeps: How can modern prefab make the world a better place to live?A: Modern prefab can begin to make a dent in the tragic vernacular homogeneity that plagues this country. People speak all the time of "context" or houses being true to their respective neighborhoods, but what I see when I travel around the country is the same boxes with a tacked-on facade — French Country, Tuscan, Cape Cod, whatever. It's not architecture, and it's not good design.
But beyond the aesthetic, practitioners of modern prefab place an emphasis on smarter, more sustainable building materials. That reduces the massive environmental impact of home-building and makes houses healthier for people to live in as well. The smaller footprint that is often the signature of these homes is also far better for the environment. ::Chicago Tribune
see TreeHugger: The Prefabricated Home
Is Your House Making You Look Fat?
More hot air from the biggest prefab hack. The reason modern prefab has failed is because it's too frickin' expensive, and Arieff's own firm (Empyrean) is the biggest culprit in outlandish pricing. It's the price, stupid. Reduce the price and the masses will come.
I agree. Prefabs were SUPPOSED to be cheaper but the reality is, when combined with actually shipping, assembly, land, zoning, etc.. it's almost equal to a typical house. What's more, it's even more expensive when you start to add all the "eco-green" bells and whistles.
Drop the price and the masses will come.
Want real prefab?
Look at Safeway homes. They are 'green' and the cost is similar to stck built, and are designed to survive 160Kt winds.
Wow.
http://www.maconcountytn.com/safeway_homes.htm
(I liv in AK, so have no dog in this, as they say)
when it is green and alot cheaper than non prefab (as it should be) so that everyone can afford it then it will have an impact
Why fool around with this kind of prefab. There are numerous SIPs manufacturers that can and will build a house in almost any style that look good, can take winds up to 190mph, and are tight enough and have high R value to reduce enery consumption by 50-80%. Some even recycle their materials.
Prefab is, at least theoretically, cheaper, and my hunch is that that makes it attractive to some in the industry who want a higher profit. Perhaps it's like the coffeehouse story, where a perception of something expensive is created-- a "triple latte macchiato with foam and lounge chairs"-- and is helped along by the charging of (disproportionately-)higher prices. "Make something very cheap look more expensive than it is and charge accordingly". Pretty simple stuff. Greed.
Contrary to what some believe, cost savings are not necessarily passed on to the consumer. They can be retained, and perhaps used for marketing and advertising to help feed perceptions and create need out of, and for, essentially nothing. And the consumer also pays for that.
Prefab is, at least theoretically, cheaper, and my hunch is that that makes it attractive to some in the industry who want a higher profit. Perhaps it's like the coffeehouse story, where a perception of something expensive is created-- a "triple latte macchiato with foam and lounge chairs"-- and is helped along by the charging of (disproportionately-)higher prices. "Make something very cheap look more expensive than it is and charge accordingly". Pretty simple stuff. Greed.
Contrary to what some believe, cost savings are not necessarily passed on to the consumer. They can be retained, and perhaps used for marketing and advertising to help feed perceptions and create need out of, and for, essentially nothing. And the consumer also pays for that.
LA: I have to say I spent four years trying to build modern prefab in Canada and could never get the price down to anywhere near the standard product and it wasn't greed. Wood windows cost twice as much as vinyl, wood siding costs four times as much as vinyl, and solid slab doors cost five times as much as masonite doors. It is not greed, it is materials and detailing.
Well, I did say 'some' in the industry and 'theoretically'. Greed always seems to pop up anyway. ;)
Reminds me of the book 'The House You Build', where in it, if recalled, the author suggests that using cheap/cheaper/unusual materials/detailing imaginatively and effectively and in a smaller-home context, can make something that transcends its pedigree and size.
I suppose there are some things that are difficult to be substituted, but for those that can, how about it?