The success of prefabricated housing, or prefabs, varies from country to country. In Australia – where only 3% of all homes are designed by an architect – prefabs are far from mainstream, yet in Sweden, they account for 90% of all housing construction. And both the United Kingdom and Japan have a long history of using prefabricated housing after temporary buildings were constructed to replace those lost during World War II.

Initially built as short-term housing for returning soldiers or those made homeless, early prefabricated housing was very basic. Single storey buildings clad in sheets of metal put a roof over people’s heads but made few aesthetic considerations due to their intended temporary nature.

Yet in the last sixty years the prefab has evolved into an object of relative permanence, offering excellent design and an affordable solution for housing urban populations.

In the UK, prefabricated housing has a less than glowing reputation due to it being synonymous with poor quality design. Seemingly unable to lose its association with post-war buildings, the prefab has yet to reach the British mainstream. Most new prefabs are the result of individual builds in non-urban areas, and whilst their high quality design hints at what’s possible with prefabricated architecture, Britain is yet to be convinced.

Over in Japan, it’s a different story. Likely a result of its dense population, the prefab is a common sight in Japan’s cities. As with the UK, modern prefabs are sleek, well-design and highly functional buildings, albeit in an urban setting. One excellent example being a recent design by the Office of Ryue Nishizawa. Intended for seven inhabitants, separate prefabricated structures were brought together on site to create a small community in Tokyo. Despite their close proximity, each room is an individual building – a design feat achieved thanks to the building’s prefabricated nature.

Even Australia is beginning to see the benefits of prefabricated construction, with The Australian National University in Canberra recently building modular student accommodation. The multi-storey building contains apartments created from unused shipping containers, called ‘a first in Australia’ by its developers. This unusual building material is essentially large-scale recycling, making use of otherwise unwanted shipping containers. Their shape is ideal for modular design and construction – rooms arrive almost fully constructed and ideal for stacking.

More traditional prefabricated housing is also being attempted in Australia. Queensland’s Happy Haus are using prefabricated technology to make architect-designed housing available on a larger scale and at a more affordable rate. With the building’s units arriving fully-formed, construction of a complete house can take as little as 4 weeks. It is telling that, in this instance,  high-standard design has been prioritised in order for the prefabricated offering to be a success.

The current global trend for dense urbanisation is an excellent opportunity for an increase in prefabricated housing. This opportunity is particularly relevant in east Asia, where cities are growing at an incredible pace. However, the simplicity of prefab housing is not enough. Designs of a high standard which cater for residents’ lifestyles at least as well as more traditional buildings are vital. Unfortunately, this has yet to be seen in most parts of the world.

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