Y: Cube Mitcham is the first of several developments produced for the YMCA in south London, UK. Designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, the modular units provide affordable starter homes for young people unable to afford a conventional house. Photo courtesy Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
Book by Avi Friedman (Thames & Hudson, 2021)
Pre-Fab Living provides a timely overview of current pre-fabrication technologies through a collection of projects that explores current design trends and construction approaches. Authored by Avi Friedman, who teaches architecture at McGill and has been a long-time advocate for sustainable and affordable housing, the book includes 40 small to mid-rise projects from around the globe. They?re grouped by themes including Innovative Communities, Apartment Buildings, and Net-zero Homes, presenting pre-fabrication as an evolving and experimental set of processes with ample space for imagination, growth and cross-pollination. Pre-fab is of particular interest a year into a pandemic that has brought environmental and housing inequities to the forefront. Alongside the systemic failures of inadequate public housing, stay-at-home orders have exposed frustrations with low- and mid-cost private homes. An architectural shift may be in the works: action plans for affordable housing have been announced at multiple levels of government, which pre-fab is well-positioned to address. Rapid-response modular projects are being completed in cities like Toront...