Boxing clever: the new generation of prefab homes

Innovative, environmentally friendly and reasonably priced prefabricated homes could be the solution to the housing crisis

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In the late 1960s, Richard Rogers designed a home for his parents at 22 Parkside, Wimbledon. The simple shoebox design used a new kind of prefabrication system, where the individual modules were constructed in a factory then sent to Wimbledon, where the whole thing was put together in a matter of days like giant flat-pack furniture. Rogers' ultimate ambition was that this type of build could eventually be one "bought in a shop". In an interview with online design hub Dezeen, he revealed his initial hopes that the standardised system "would solve the whole of the British housing crisis". It didn't, he conceded, but the project would go on to inspire many of his most iconic designs. The Grade-II listed Wimbledon building was eventually donated to Harvard University and now houses graduate students in an ongoing residency programme, effectively nurturing the next generation of architects.

In reality, prefabricated houses are nothing new. The biggest drive for them was in the late 1940s, when more than 156,000 were built in the UK following the Second World War. Back then, 'prefab' was a byword for poor quality, but advances in technology have vastly improved the output. And while cutting costs and halving construction time are still the primary benefits of prefab, modern renditions are equally concerned with quality design, sustainability and longevity.

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