ABSTRACT
Turning to the history of modular architecture and prefabrication in construction, we discover a paradox: architects have been advocating the use of industrial techniques for almost a century, and yet with few exceptions architects have been averse to association in commercial ventures. Four case histories of modular and prefab commercial enterprises—the Sears Modern Homes program, the Lustron Corporation, the Techbuilt House, and the School Construction Systems Development (SCSD) project—have lessons to offer. This chapter examines how technical ingenuity and resourceful problem-solving, as well as effective marketing, were the ingredients of success, and how external factors, including economic cycles, cultural shifts, and even politics, played a role in failure. If modular architecture is going to succeed, it must be an integrated architectural and commercial enterprise in which logistics, marketing, finance, economics, and the cultural context are considered together with design.
The four case histories share a common thread: each in its own way took advantage of Principle #5: Leverage Existing Infrastructures.
