- Hardcover: 164 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins Design International (6 May 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 006058923X
- ISBN-13: 978-0060589233
- Product Dimensions: 29 x 26 x 2 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,160,119 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
For many, the idea of prefab may bring to mind trailers and other less desirable images of housing.Instead, the new prefab is becoming the inevitable next step to "cool" housing as home buyers look for distinctive yet reasonably priced first and second homes. One in six new houses today is a prefab and 400,000 units are now produced in the U.S. each year. More than 50% of all homes are constructed in whole or in part by using building systems -- modular, panelized components produced in quality controlled environments. This exploration of the best prefabricated houses on the market today, from all over the world, along with a resource directory on how you can purchase them, is an invaluable reference for those interested in this alternative.
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First Sentence
Wherever people have wandered, migration has created a need for cost-effective housing that can be constructed quickly and is also, ideally, portable enough to salvage when it's time to move on. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Wherever people have wandered, migration has created a need for cost-effective housing that can be constructed quickly and is also, ideally, portable enough to salvage when it's time to move on. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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12 reviews
33 of 33 people found the following review helpful
A good catalogue, but not a book to collect
22 Mar 2005
Format:Hardcover
I fully agree with one reviewer's (shawn murphy) comments. This book serves really good as a catalogue of what's available on the market right now (though not comprehensive enough). In general, the text focuses on customers' perspective, not from an architect's lense. Hence, you will know what you will get if you order these houses, but not enough information about the design philosophy and creative ideas behind these products. You can just pick up this book and skim through it at a bookstore. Write down the names of the houses and architects you are interested. Then google them for more information.
For example, I am really interested in the cool Bombala Farmhouse on page 102, and two other houses designed by Collins & Turner. However, the text in the book did not tell me a lot about these designes. You can find more information on the architects' website.
Another example: On page 122-123, the author described the House in the Woods designed by Resolution:4 Architecture. In fact, this very house is the winner of Dwell magazine's 1st Dwell Home Design Competition. You can find more detailed and thoughtful reports about this prefab design in two issues of the Dwell magazine (Oct/Nov 2004, and Dec 2004).
That being said, the book also has several strengths. It does provide a lot of information considering the number of prefab houses and the future designs or concept houses featured in the book. The section of "constructing prefab" is informative, too. Overall, it is an okay book (maybe 3.5 star is a more appropriate rating). But, if you are a serious reader about prefab architecture, this is not a valuable book to purchase and collect for you library.
For example, I am really interested in the cool Bombala Farmhouse on page 102, and two other houses designed by Collins & Turner. However, the text in the book did not tell me a lot about these designes. You can find more information on the architects' website.
Another example: On page 122-123, the author described the House in the Woods designed by Resolution:4 Architecture. In fact, this very house is the winner of Dwell magazine's 1st Dwell Home Design Competition. You can find more detailed and thoughtful reports about this prefab design in two issues of the Dwell magazine (Oct/Nov 2004, and Dec 2004).
That being said, the book also has several strengths. It does provide a lot of information considering the number of prefab houses and the future designs or concept houses featured in the book. The section of "constructing prefab" is informative, too. Overall, it is an okay book (maybe 3.5 star is a more appropriate rating). But, if you are a serious reader about prefab architecture, this is not a valuable book to purchase and collect for you library.
62 of 71 people found the following review helpful
modern, yes; but very few homes available as prefabs
24 July 2005
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was disappointed with this book. It includes profiles of 15 architectural firms. Seven of those profiles were of firms that have done one-off architect-designed homes made largely of pre-existing materials (usually shipping containers). That is not my definition of a prefab house. To me, a prefab house is one that I can order to be built on my lot. Of the eight firms that offer prefab houses, for three of them only computer-generated images were presented (not photos of real houses). That leaves only five firms offering prefab houses ready for market. Of those, one builds 10 houses per year in Finland. Another is in Australia. Two offer only really small homes (generally intended as second homes).
The book does include (small) design plans and many photos for most of the houses. However, the fact that very few of those homes are available for me to purchase makes the book almost useless.
[...]
The book does include (small) design plans and many photos for most of the houses. However, the fact that very few of those homes are available for me to purchase makes the book almost useless.
[...]
28 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Mostly lightweight fluff
27 Feb 2006
Format:Hardcover
For anyone new to this subject matter this book is a basic starting point. However the more you learn about the topic from other sources the more you realize this book is just lightweight fluff. This was simply opportunistic publishing of a coffee table book while the topic was hot. The author has little expertise in the subject matter (is she a contract writer? - her previous book was about tiles) and the book reads like breathless brochureware. If you want to research the topic for free check out the great web site fabprefab.com which predates this book and is frequently updated. Also there are other great books on prefab such as Colin Davies The Prefabricated Home.
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