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Prefabrication isn't new. In fact, most everything around you is prefab: that picture frame on your desk, your computer monitor, even the light bulb above your head. Prefab simply means an item or components of an item are pre-assembled in a factory before the final product reaches you.
Even prefab homes have been around for decades. The mobile home revolutionized functional, affordable housing. For its time, modular housing was incredibly waste-efficient, too, compared to the on-site building processes of today, which can exhaust more than 30% of building materials.
Rather than overload our landfills, however, contemporary architectural firms and design companies are rethinking what prefab means for today's waste-conscious and energy-savvy homebuyers. Many are combining traditional modular concepts with a customized approach, allowing clients to select a basic design and alter it according to their tastes.
Once a buyer has chosen his or her concept, the company outsources most -- if not all -- major construction to factories, where large portions of a house (walls, beams, flooring, etc.) are assembled. The factory ships these prefabricated chunks of house to the build site, where contractors piece them together quickly -- often, in a matter of days.As you can imagine, carefully planned and pre-assembled homes render waste management an exact science. Many prefab homes reduce waste to 10% or less, which conserves the environment and saves money for the buyers. (Many homes can be built in the $200,000 range.)
Because these homes are factory-made, measurements are precise. Large pieces fit together like an erector set, whereupon the house is sealed tightly to conserve energy and potentially save a homeowner thousands of dollars every year. Companies also cut costs by offering features like recycled countertops and Marmoleum flooring.