Another Look at Prefab Housing

Prefabricated homes are suddenly in demand, yet the idea of manufacturing homes in factories is nothing new. A hundred years ago the Aladdin Company was sending factory-made readi-cut house kits to customers through the U.S. mail.

A century later, architects are redefining prefab housing. And we’re not talking about the 20th-century mobile homes that dot the nation. Architects and designers are teaming up with factory managers to create striking modern homes built according to code with less money and in less time. Prefab housing also taps into the desire for more sustainable and ecologically-friendly architecture.

A new exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York takes a long view of the prefab housing, and the technology that makes it possible. It’s called "Home Delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling." It opens this Sunday, and will be on display until October 20.

Joining Word of Mouth with more is Andrew Blum, contributing editor at Wired and Metropolis Magazines, and Stephen Kieran, a founding partner of KieranTimberlake Associates, which received the 2008 Architecture Firm Award from the American Institute of Architects.

Watch a timelapse video of the assembly of the Cellophane House by clicking here.