I just finished reading “PreFab Home” by Michael Buchanan, et al. (2004). It was a light introduction to the process of building (and modifying the design of) a prefabricated or factory-built home. The book contains useful information and resources but treads lightly on the details of the topic.
What did I like about the book? The finishes and design show that a factory-built home need not be boring. The designer/author used an approach that he calls “good, better, best.” Simply put, for items that are not critical to the overall design, buy something that is “good”; items that are major focal points should be “best”. For the author's project the "good" was a prefab structure which allowed for splurges in the budget. Even his “best” is done with bargain-hunting and value in mind (which I, and anyone on a budget, can appreciate). An example in the book is the living room mantel, which is a reproduction with minor showroom flaws/dings thereby saving tens of thousands of dollars over an “original”. There is also a good, detailed resource list at the end of the book.
What didn’t I like? The biggest flaw to me was that there was no overall floor plan of the building which would have allowed a reader to make sense of the whole scheme. The text didn’t always appear on or near pages with photographs that showed what was being described, which was annoying. Lastly, while the design of the building was intended to be “Arts and Crafts” it didn’t really seem (to my eye) to be an arts and crafts building. The interior décor, while quite beautiful, was more frilly and romantic, European-inspired than Stickley, Mackintosh or Morris furniture/decorative items. I think the book/project was the designer's foray into real estate, a way to showcase his design, and a way to get the most mileage from a complicated project. (There apparently was a TV show, but I haven't been able to find it. Have you seen it?)
Bottom line: it’s a fluff of a book, easily read in an hour or two, but worth checking out from the library if you have an interest in architecture and design or are curious about prefab housing. Or, if you wish to buy it, or look inside a few pages of the book yourself, I've added an Amazon.com link. (As of this posting, used copies can be quite inexpensive.)
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I learned about modern pre-fabs a few years ago when shopping for a home. I wanted a few acres with a modest home so I checked into the possibilities but ended up with an old bungalow in the suburbs instead. Real craftsman style! (I still dream of my few acres with the little house someday.)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I was amazed what they do with pre-fabs these days and how high quality and eco-friendly some of them can be. Sorry the book was dissappointing.
I, too, dream of a little getaway maybe an hour from where we live. I am also intrigued by prefabs as an inexpensive way to do an addition.
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