Prefabricated homes, or prefabs, are dwellings manufactured off-site in advance, usually in standard sections that can be easily shipped and assembled. Three main forms exist: modular homes, built in complete sections and transported for on-site assembly using construction methods similar to traditional building; manufactured homes, built on permanent steel beams in complete sections and set on foundations once transported; and mobile homes or trailers, built on wheels and licensed as personal property. In the United States, mobile and manufactured houses are built to federal HUD building codes, while modular houses are built to the International Residential Code, so outwardly similar prefabricated homes can differ considerably in construction, materials and regulation. Contemporary prefabricated design has drawn on postmodern and futurist architectural styles, showing that off-site manufacture can produce aesthetically ambitious housing rather than only utilitarian shelter.
Sources
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.