Prefabricated housing, often associated with blighted urban land­scapes and monotonous grey boxes, has evolved into an approach to housing with a wealth of aesthetic and ­structural possibilities. Modern methods of constructing and assembling prefabricated buildings – methods that can be traced back to the 19th century – are going through a renaissance. This is true across the world, from Vancouver and New York to London and Berlin through to Astana and Singapore. Moreover, prefabrication now serves a wider range of purposes than ever before. In ­Moscow, Europe’s largest metropolitan area, it is primarily used ­­­­as a means to provide ­affordable homes. But in some countries, prefabrication is surprisingly also used to build exclusive, upmarket properties.

This construction and design manual presents a range of ­different production and assembly methods currently used in the field of prefabricated housing. It particularly focuses on ­efficiency, sustainability, and market relevance, and presents strategies for ­organising processes along with best-practice examples that reflect the latest trends. The manual also ex­plores the historical development of prefabricated housing in order to discover its full architectural potential. Finally, it outlines ten design parameters for prefabricated housing and presents 15 noteworthy examples, making a fresh contribution to the debate on affordable housing today.