Would like to seek for your opinion on the above question. As observed apparently, prefabrication construction in residential housing only takes place, successfully, in those developed countries; while traditional cast in-site construction is still prevalent in those developing countries. Does it mean that prefabrication construction is viable in a country only when that country achieved certain degree of development?
During the communist period in Romania was implementing prefabrication construction, although it was not a developed country. Now, prefabricated ecological houses are built of wood and is mounted in a few days, and the level of development is higher than in the communist era. I think it depends more on trend than the level of development.
Iuliana
Hi Chee,
If you're able to read in spanish and french, I recommand you the following review :
Ciudades, n° 13/2010, « La Réhabilitation de quartiers périphériques : enjeux et débats », It is the annual review from the urbanism institute in Valladolid (Spain). It has focus on european example, both in western and easter (former sovietic) erope.
Hope it could help you,
Christophe
Also, there is a interresting article :
Mohammad Reza Mehrabanigolzar, Olivier Chery & Vincent Boly (2013) "Evaluation du potentiel de durabilité d’un projet de rénovation urbaine en phase de préconception grâce a la conception a objectif désigné (COD)", Marché et organisations, n° 2013/1 (N° 17), P. 101 - 121.
Summary : To design an architectural project of urban renovation is a very complex process. The upstream phases of this process are studied in a sustainable development approach. So we design a decision making tool for the stakeholders of the project to evaluate the sustainable development impact of their choices. The reasoning used is based on an innovation process called : « sustainability-centred design ».
Classification JEL : Q51, Q56, Q55, Q31, Q33
Hope it could help you,
Christope
Hi Chee,
This is very valid and interesting observation you made through this question. With my experience of working both in developed and developing country I would say - yes,it mostly depends on the development. In my opinion the economy of the nation and the employment status of the citizen's of the country will majorly decide the type of construction techniques. In Developed Nations the unemployment is very less as compare to Developing nations and this impacts the labour cost required in construction of buildings. As in Developing Nations cheap labour costs available result in the in situ construction of buildings whereas in Developed nations high labour cost would demand speedy assembly of the buildings on site. Again to add further the factors like weather conditions and speed required in completing the projects plays vital role in deciding the type of construction for any project.
Uma
In the US, movement toward the use of prefabrication has been stymied by building codes that are really intended to protect the employment of certain trades (e.g., electricians and plumbers).
Hi Chee,
You could have a look on this book :
Andres Duany & Emily Talen (eds), 2013, Landscape urbanism and its discontents. Dissimulating the sustainable city. Gabriola Island (Canada) :
Prefabrication construction was extensively used in Abuja FCT in Nigeria at the early stage but the culture and practice of fixing certain items on walls limited the perception as being ideal. Many have reverted to traditional insitu construction.
I am not a specialist of the question, but two examples can shed some light :
the Gothic churches were build predominantly with prefabricated elements (thus the architecture) the main reason was to build a great number of churches even in small cities or even villages. Transport costs of stones were reduced. No link with economic growth.
To a certain extent the same can be said of Victorian mansions in the USA. (interior ornamentation)
To the extent to which, the will to follow a trend, at low cost, is the sign of a better organisation of work, prefabrication of architecture elements is sometimes the sign of economic development. As history shows this possible link is not pervasive.
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