Prefabricated housing has long since ceased to mean the disfigurement of
the urban landscape with monotonous grey boxes. Particularly in Central
Europe and Russia, modern assembly methods and 100 years of experience
in planning prefabricated buildings and constructing with large panels
are experiencing a renaissance. Whereas predominantly in Moscow - the
largest European metropolis with seventeen million - prefabricated
housing is an essential instrument for the provision of residential
assistance, prefabrication methods in Germany and Switzerland, for
example, are used to build exclusive properties. This construction
manual examines the potential of prefabricated housing on structural,
historical and architectural grounds. In addition to an insight into the
methods of production and assembly, roughly twenty selected examples are
presented in large-format photographs, plans rich in detail and
meaningful diagrams, providing a contribution to the discussion on
affordable housing.
2 volumes in slipcase: Vol. 1: Technologies and Methods Vol. 2:
Buildings and Typologies