This article was written by Chad Ludeman, President of Philadelphia-based postgreen and developer of the much talked about 100k House. Make sure to come back after visiting his websites ...
Prefab homes seem to be showing up more and more in the media these days, especially with two large exhibits in Philadelphia showcasing their history this year. Like many, I hoped that prefab would be the answer to bringing modern architecture to the masses in the US and beyond. I thought that finally, modern home design would be attainable by those of us who aren't pulling in lofty six figure incomes. That was until I conducted extensive research into the possibility of starting a development company in Philadelphia using only prefab homes.
Don't get me wrong, I love prefab and many of the firms out there with cutting edge designs in the prefab realm. There are also a variety of building lessons that can be learned from the prefab methodology. I just don't believe it is the best way of delivering modern design to the average new home buyer.
Below we will look at this issue from two points of view. First, we will look at the prefab industry and try to dispel some of the myths that have arisen around it. Second, we will take a quick look at how the housing industry may be able to learn from both prefab and site-built homes to create a hybrid approach that will provide a better, more accessible solution to the home buyer and hopefully reduce the barrier of entry to modern, green, and unique residences.
Names and firms have intentionally been left out of this post in an
effort to discuss only the facts, dispel some of the myths of prefab,
and possibly look towards a better method for bringing modern homes to
the average American.
