Prefab City

Prefab City
A compendium of strategies for prefabricated

building techniques in urban environments
Northeastern University
Graduate Program of Architecture
Masters Research Studio
Littell | Fall 2010
Prepared By:
Ahmed Almulla, Matt Arnold, Hope Blanchette, Travis Blake, Joanna Grab, Melissa Goldfarb,
Sarah Laliberte, Andrea Leveille, Brad Mckinney, Luke Palma, Sara Rosenthal, John Stoddard
Introduction Statement
This book was written by twelve graduate students of
architecture (M. Arch.) at Northeastern University in the
fall of 2010 as part of our Master’s Research Studio. This
book will explore issues related to pre-constructed
building strategies in urban environments, thus the title,
Prefab City. As a result of this exploration and analysis,
we hope to uncover potential design opportunities in an
area that seems to be less well documented and
researched in the field. This book is intended to be used
by our studio, and could be useful to peers, professors or
professionals wanting an integrated understanding of an
approach to prefabricated building in a urban context.
Table of Contents
Introduction Determinants Deployment Tactics
Purpose ...............................................1 Transportation ..................................10 Density on Demand...........................68
by Ground: Rail ..........................................11 Definition, Factors ...................................69
Definitions .......................................... 2 by Ground: Road ........................................13 Mobility and Adaptability .........................70
by Water .....................................................21 Construction .............................................71
Research Methodology + Scope ......4 by Air ..........................................................23 Connections .............................................73
Process.....................................................77
Site Access + Assembly....................26
Site Access ...............................................27 Parasite + Barnacle............................80
Crane Operation and Extents ...................29 Urban Infill Sites ......................................81
Cranes and Obstacles .............................31 Definitions ................................................83
Off Frame Assembly ................................33 Parasite Precedents ................................85
Barnacle Precedents ...............................89
Modular Strategies ............................38
Logistics ...................................................39 Instant Utopia ..................................98
Site Placement Strategies .......................43 Introduction..............................................96
Aggregation Techniques .........................45 The Plug-In Tower .................................100
Mechanical Systems.................................47 The Expanding Monolith .......................106
The Artificial Hill town ............................110
Component Strategies .....................49
Definitions ..................................................51 Extreme Prefab................................118
On-Site Labor ...........................................53 Launching Gantry Game .......................120
Fabricated Unit .........................................55 Incremental Launching System ............124
Panel System ............................................57 Extra-Large Prefab ...............................128
Precast Concrete ......................................59
Kit-of-Parts ................................................61
Non Physical Contexts Precedents
Building Code..................................136 Rating Precedents .........................168
Regular....................................................137 Rating Systems ......................................169
HUD Code ..............................................138 Matrix Chart ............................................170
Prefab Scale ...........................................171
Zoning Code ...................................144 Enchridion................................................173
Boston ..................................................145
Charlottesville, VA ................................147 Precedents .....................................176
Little Rock, AK .....................................148
Economics ......................................150
Overview ...................................................151
HUD Code ................................................153
Single Family Modular .............................155
Stick Built Modular....................................156
Multi Family Modular ................................157
Multi Family Stick Built .............................158
Policy...............................................160
Purpose and Definitions
Pre-fabrication in urban settings is an Four main purposes of the book:

underlooked, under-researched subject. This
• Exploring prefab through the city lens: explaining the process of using prefab relative to
might have to do with the fact that there are
dense, urban environments.
limited examples of prefabricated architecture in
the city, even less that have actually been
• Identifying and analyzing delivery methods; tracking the prefab process from the
realized, and even less that have actually been
manufacturer to site placement.
successful. Those reasons (limited built
examples) as well as the stigma associated with
• Identfying advantages vs. disadvantages; why would someone want to use prefab in an
prefabrication (cheap, indistinct) aren’t the only
urban environment.
factors; social and economic factors (such as
unions) also play an important role.
• To uncover potential design opportunities in an area that seems to be less well understood
or studied in the general field. This gathering, dissecting and organizing of specific
There is a disproportionally high number of
information is potentially valuable in the generation or advancement of a design idea.
prefab buildings (especially residential homes) in
rural settings. Our research, therefore, has
purposely limited looking into this well-
documented area of prefab in order to explore
and eventually identify the challenges that are
What this book is not about:
unique to urban environments. • Prefabrication in rural settings.
• How elements are prefabricated in a factory (not part of the construction or delivery
process), unless it is significant in terms of time/labor/quality issues.
INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
Urban
Relating to, or belonging to, a city. Examples of prefabricated architecture are disproportionally located
in rural or suburban settings. Therefore, our aim is to focus on researching prefabrication in a more
dense urban fabric. Although the ‘density’ factor is loosely defined, the context should be clearly
understood as urban.
Prefab
DEPLOYMENT
Definitions for this word vary slightly but are all common in the sense that they are too broad and
general (factory-built, factory-made, pre-cut, panelized, manufactured, modular, mobile). For our
purposes, we are defining prefab as a building or structure that is manufactured in standard parts off-
site to be shipped and assembled elsewhere.
To be even more rigid in our definition of prefab, we have developed a matrix and identified projects or
methods of construction just outside the matrix to define the borders of our research zone. The
projects within the matrix re-enforce our definition of prefab.
CONTEXT
Delivery Method
‘Delivery method’ has different meanings in different fields and even within the field of architecture, it
can have various implications. Since it is an important factor in Prefab City, a precise definition, for our
purposes, is required. By delivery methods, we mean the mode of transportation and route from
factory where a prefab element was made to the actual construction site, and everything in between.
PRECEDENTS
Introduction • 2
Research Methodology and Scope
To make our research and findings more effective Asphalt Road Drop House
and useful, we have devised a strategy to
calculate or ‘rate’ the degree or ‘prefabness’ for
each of the examples presented. Firstly, the
matrix helps us define our boundaries on what
constitutes prefab. In other words, the limits of
degree of ‘prefabness’ are defined by the projects
around the border of the matrix, and everything
within falls in our realm of study.
By developing this matrix, we have given

ourselves two extremes of prefab and therefore
100% on-site 100% off-site
now have a scale from which we can place other
objects relative to the two ends. As our own
commitment to being objective about these
examples, our ratings and matrix placements
primarily use measurable facts and figures.
INTRODUCTION
Off-site
Prefabrication
Puma City
DETERMINANTS
Drop House Nomadic
Museum
Precast Concrete
Metastadt Segmented Bridges
Pierson Court
Nakagin Tower
DEPLOYMENT
Use Kim House Elemental Box City Bailey Use
Residential Bridge Infrastructure
Hong Kong
Tower
Habitat 67
CONTEXT
2 x 4 Res. Elemental Permanent
Infill
Zollverein Temporary
PRECEDENTS
Keetwonen Asphalt
Road
Custom
Adobe Hut/ On-site
Igloo Construction Standard
Introduction • 4
Determinants
INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
de·ter·mi·nant
[dih-tur-muh-nuhnt]
–noun
1. a determining agent or factor.
A multitude of factors go into the design and
PRECEDENTS
delivery of a prefabricated element. Prefab
delivery must be carefully thought through to
ensure smooth transition from factory to site.
Factors to pay special attention to include method
of transportation, site restrictions, and the
construction strategy.
Determinants • 6
Transportation
Transportation •
8
PRECEDENTS CONTEXT DEPLOYMENT DETERMINANTS INTRODUCTION

Transportation Types
Ground: Rail Ground: Road Ground: Crane

Rail transportation is one of the most efficient With many different types, transportation by Cranes provide the means of moving a container
modes of tranport for moving freight. However, trucks provides some flexibility for moving or module to its place on site. The cost of having
the constraints of connectivity to other modes of materials and modules to site. Trucks are limited a crane is one limitation. The dimensions of the
transport and the rigidity of the rail car are both by the roads that lead them to a site. Local height site and its constraints also are limiting factors.
limitations that need to be considered when using and weight restrictions, as well as the turning
rail. radius of the truck, must be considered.
INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
Water: Barge Air: Skycrane Air: Freight Airplane
Barges allow for the tranport of ‘mega structures’ Skycranes allow typically inaccessible sites to Freight airplanes can expedite the delivery
that would otherwise be precluded from use receive materials that could not be delievered process of containers and kit of parts projects.
because they are unable to be moved by rail or there otherwise. The distance of the pick up to However, because of the dimensional and weight
road. While size of the component is not a factor site is very limiting, as well as the skill needed to restrictions, the typical container size is excluded
PRECEDENTS
when using a barge, port locations in relation to operate the device and the cost associated with from this mode of transportation.
site are critical factors that limit the use of water delivery.
transport.
Transportation • 10
by Ground: Rail
Rail transportation provides an economical
alternative to truck transport for longer shipping Seattle
distances (over 250 miles). In the United States,
there is an existing network of freight railways
that serve the major metropolitan areas.
Boston
Chicago
Cities that are located close to water most often New York
have the greatest convergence of railroads. Philadelphia
Waterways offer the greatest capabilities for Los Angeles Washington D.C.
intermodal transport.
The two most commonly used methods of Atlanta

transportation (shown below) are “trailers on flat
cars” (TOFC) and “container on flat cars” (COFC).
Both types allow undisturbed shipment of freight.
US System of Railways
TOFC COFC Beacon Park Freight Yard, Boston, MA

INTRODUCTION
The container has become the unit of
measurement for rail transport. The dimensional
properties of the container dictate the length of
the rail car and the vertical clearance needed for
transport. This can be a limiting factor when
transporting containers into an urban
DETERMINANTS
environment.
DEPLOYMENT
Typical Railcar dimension is set by
container container dimension so that
dimension two containers can fit on
one car
Trailer lengths also
accomodate container
dimensions
CONTEXT
req’d clearance 18’-9” req’d clearance 20’-9”
Worcester Boston
20’ -3”
18’ -3”
PRECEDENTS
< 19’-6”
Other Railway
Two 8’-6” Two 9’-6”

Containers Stacked Containers Stacked Vertical Railway Clearance in Massachusetts
by Ground: Road
Transportation of pre fab elements in a urban
environment is constrained by a number of
obstacles. One of which is the complex network
of roads that comprise many cities.
In order to deliver pre fab modules to a site many

different sized trucks need to be considered as
part of the delivery process. Each truck has its
own set of limitations for maximum freight weight.
Truck Types
All of these factors must be considered when Pickup Truck
siting a pre fab project in an urban context. Advantages: Can easily navigate small urban
streets
Disadvantages: Lowest freight weight
capacity, very limited by size
Single Unit Truck

Advantages: Comparitively narrow width
(fairly easy for navigating small streets). Mid
size compacity for freight (panels could fit)
Disadvantages: Constrained by height.
Dump Truck
Advantages: Large freight weight compacity
Disadvantages: Width could be problematic
when trying to traverse complex sites.
Semi Tractor Trailer Truck

Advantages: Largest carrying capacity;
multiple trailer options to facilitate different
sized pieces.
Disadvantages: Hardest to maneuver complex
street network.
Truck Dimensions
Transportation •
14

Semi-Trailer Load Capacities
Semi-Tractor trailer trucks have the greatest
carrying capacity. There are a number of options 48’-0”
for the trailer; some maximize the length, some
height of the element that needs to be
transported. Outlined below are the options. 8’-6”
48,000 lbs. 8’-6”
Flatdeck Trailer
11’-0”
37’-0”
8’-6”
a b 10’-0”
48,000 lbs. 8’-6”

a: Height restriction for truck (varies by state from 13’-6” to 14’-6”)
b: Height limit for vertical clearance (typ. 14’-0” for urban areas, 16’-0” rural)
Vertical Clearance for Semi-Trailers Single Drop Trailer
10’-0”
52’-6” 29’-0”
8’-6” 9’-0”
11’-6”
9’-2” 10’-0”
45,000 lbs. 8’-6” 45,000 lbs. 8’-6”
* maximizes height
Box Trailer Double Drop Trailer

INTRODUCTION
48’-0”
80’-0”
8’-6”
DETERMINANTS
8’-6” 14’-0”
45,000 lbs. 48,000 lbs.
*Flatdeck Trailer Stretched

maximizes length 8’-6”
Oversized Load
10’-0”
48’-0”
DEPLOYMENT
63’-0”
8’-6”
8’-6”
10’-0”
16’-0”
48,000 lbs.
*Way Oversized Load

43,000 lbs. 8’-6” permits required
Single Drop Trailer Stretched
CONTEXT
10’-0”
50’-0”
8’-6”
11’-6”
9’-0”
PRECEDENTS
10’-0”
40,000 lbs.
* maximizes height 8’-6”

* dimensions contrained
by road restrictions of
local municipalites
Double Drop Trailer Stretched Super Oversized Load
Roadway Design & Obstacles
Roadway design can either help or hinder the
transport of prefab elements to site by truck.
Outlined below are the guidelines for the
dimensions of driving and parking lanes in a city.
a1 b1 c b2 a2
INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
Landscape Street Furniture Signage Pedestrian Utilities
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
Truck Turning Obstacles
PRECEDENTS
‘Making the turn’ is one of the challeneges of
truck transport when building in an urban
environment. The many obstacles the city
presents (parked cars, telephone poles, stop
signs, etc.) make routing a truck to site one of the
City Utilities Lighting Parallel Parking
most important parts of the process.
Truck Turning Radii
The swept path a truck takes as it makes a right Swept path of truck
60°
turn is a critical moment. To the right is a diagram
that explains the logics of how a truck makes a
turn.
The most common trucks used for transport in

the city are the standard semi-truck and the 60’ radius
single unit truck. The paths for oversized loads from point on sidewalk
need to be considered if larger elements need to

get to site.
Critical points that
determine swept path
Truck Making 60° Turn
60°
60°
90° 90°
a
a
b
b
180° 180°
a: 53’-0” a: 53’-0”
b: 8’-6” b: 8’-6”
critical swept path critical swept path
Standard Semi-Truck Single Unit Truck

INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
60° 60° 60°
CONTEXT
90° 90°
90°
a a
a
b
*cannot make a 180° b
PRECEDENTS
b with a 60’ radius
180°
a: up to 80’-0” a: 48’-0” a: 75’-0” or 1/3 truck bed length
180°
b: 8’-6” b: 16’-0” b: 8’-6”
critical swept path critical swept path critical swept path
Stretch Semi-Truck Oversized Load (Width) Oversized Load (Length)
by Water
Vessels used for transport range in size based on
the depth of water being traveled. The prefab
component’s size, if only traveling by water, is
restricted by the smallest body of water it travels
through.
The size of the locks in at the Panama Canal

determine the size of the ships allowed through.
Each lock is 1,050 ft long, 110 feet wide. The
Bridge of the Americas at the Pacific Entrance to
the canal is the height determinate; 201 ft at high
tide. These dimensions set the maximum size of
ship elligible to travel through the canal known as
the Panamax. A typical Panamax Container ship
holds about 4,400 TEUs.
Container ship unit of measure: World’s Largest Ports

(ranked by container traffic, 2006)
TEU, twenty-foot equivalent units:
containers measuring 20ft L x 8ft W x 8.5ft H
1. Singapore
2. Hong Kong
3. Shanghai
4. Shenzhen 140 million
5. Busan
6. Kaohsiung
containers shipped
worldwide each year
7. Rotterdam
8. Dubai
9. Hamburg
10. Los Angeles
22. New York/ New Jersey

28. Port Said
Ro-RO Ship passing through a lock at - Dampier
the Panama Canal - Newcastle
INTRODUCTION
Size Comparison
Boeing 757-200PF Cargo Freight:
155 feet long, 125 feet wing span
DETERMINANTS
World’s largest container ship, Emma Maersk:
1,302 feet long, 184 feet wide
11,000 full TEU 14-ton containers
Football field:
DEPLOYMENT
300 feet long
Transport Ships Types

Name Water Type Qualities
CONTEXT
RO-RO Roll-on/Roll-Off varies by size subdivided into multiple types, many carry vehicles and containers
Sto-Ro off wheel cargo, brought on board by a ramp at stern or side entry
Container/Ro-Ro flexibile storage- containers on + under deck forward, ramps at stern for aft
underdeck. Ro-Ro cargo is often construction equipment
Ferry Shallow transport distance less than 300miles, often personal vehicles and rail cars
Heavy Lift Deep capable of unloading/loading heavy/bulky components - typical single lift of 100 tons
Crane Ship off-load containers from non self-sustaining ships offshore or underdeveloped ports
PRECEDENTS
FLO-FLO Float-On/Float-Off submerges open deck entirely under water surface, smaller cargo ship is
floated over, water is pumped out of ballast tanks
Barge Carrier Ships Shallow very long length compared to width, hard to handle and off-load to
Container Ships Deep containers stack 5 or 6 high, twelve across and interlocked with fittings- typically rely
on shore cargo handling gear for unloading/loading
by Air
It may be cost effective to transport by air using a
freight aircraft if the elements are small enough
and light enough to fit inside a cargo hold.
Utilizing an air crane, despite its hourly cost, may
container /
palette
be necessary if the urban site is particularly
difficult to access by truck and standard cranes.
The boom height necessary to place a prefab
large main-deck
component may require too large of a crane for
cargo door
the adjacent street size. In this instance lifting a
prefab unit as large as many typical single family
homes may be the efficient option for transport.
Cargo Freight Specs:

Boeing 757-200PF Cargo Freight:
Length: 155 feet

Tail Height: 44 feet
Wing span: 125 feet
Max takeoff weight: 250,000 lb - 255,000 lb
Main deck capacity: 15 max containers/palette

Palette size: 7’-4” x 10’-5”
Main deck volume: 6,600 cubic ft (palette loads)
Size Comparison Upper deck volume: 1,830 cubic ft (bulk loads)
Football field: Cruise Speed: 530 mph

300 feet long Range: 2,900 miles
Rate of climb: 1,3330 ft/min
Ceiling: 12,800 ft
Cargo Freight
Air Crane / Skycrane Must land to transport
INTRODUCTION
difficult access
urban site
DETERMINANTS
23
0m
im
DEPLOYMENT
ax
im
um
dis
t
an
ce
Air Crane / Skycrane Specs:
CONTEXT
Length: 70 feet
Height: 18ft 7 inches
Empty Weight: 19,234 lb
Max takeoff weight: 42,000 lb
prefab component Max Speed: 126 mph

extracted from fabricator,
Range: 230 mi
PRECEDENTS
truck/rail/water transport
Rate of climb: 1,3330 ft/min
vessel
Ceiling: 9,000 ft
Cost: $5,000 per hour

able to hover over site for delivery
Transportation
Sources
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/sealift-ships.htm
http://earthpulse.nationalgeographic.com/earthpulse/earthpulse-map
http://www.massfreightandrailplan.com/documents/rail_plan/Draft%20MA%20State%20Rail%20
Plan090910.pdf
http://www.stevenswest.com/trailer_selector.shtml
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/trucks/trucksize/height.htm
Image Credits:
http://crcyc.railfan.net/wall/other/frye-beacon.jpg
http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/pix/trucks/george_fiebe/2008/08-12/file002.jpg
http://www.billemory.com/blogimg02/k639b4-semi-franklin.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36722129@N06/4168030601/
Site Access + Assembly
Site Access + Assembly • 26

Site Access
There are several logical reasons for using
cranes in prefab construction. Sites completely
surrounded are rendered inaccessible to bulky
construction equiptment.Other existing site
conditions like single access to site, corner site,
or narrow site greatly limit the access points to
bring in construction equiptment and modules.
Buildings can be constructed on these accessible
(but difficult) sites and open sites using stick
frame methods, but in some cases the speed of
prefabricated construction methods can expedite
the process.
courtyard
crane necessary for construction
surrounded site single access to site

INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
alley
crane necessary for speed
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
corner site narrow site full access to site

Crane Operation + Extents
Special crane components

There are some extra equiptment items that make
craning a module more efficient and precise.
Rigging keeps the forces of tension perpindicular

to the module, reducing the bending forces on the
unit. An antirotation device helps control a crane’s
motion and the way the module shifts from pickup
Winch up to placement.
Winch Wood frame modules are best moved with

Winch right
strapping and rigging. Steel frame modules use
left
Crane school hooks and holes intentionally in the design of
Winch down Heavy equiptment training school is essential for modular structures to pick up the unit (as in
crane training and operation. It involves written shipping containers).
tests based on state laws and practical
Emergency examinations employing students’ skilled Outriggers extending from the crane vehicle are
stop
manipulation of the crane operations. necessary to temporarily ground the module to
Start Stop the site.
Jog Reset
The jib is very useful to hold the modular unit in
an almost upright position. It has the potential to
resolve design issues thanks to its ability to
Crane cab controls
suspend the module in a way different from the
way a crane typically does.
Rigging for wood frame module

INTRODUCTION
Small And Large Crane Extents
Telescopic Boom Crane All Terrain Crane
National Crane 1395 Tadano ATF 110G-5
20 Ton capacity 130 Ton capacity jib 20°
20°
143' 80°
DETERMINANTS
jib
122' 44°
95' 20°
80°
DEPLOYMENT
42' 72' 101' 130' 170'
56'
CONTEXT
24'-7"
340'-0"
outrigger
190'-0"
20'-0"
outrigger
PRECEDENTS
360°
360° work area
work area
Crane + Obstacles
Hand signals Permitting obstacles

Hand signals are necessary for communication Permits in Boston one must obtain through the
between the crane operator and the individual on Inspectational Services Department include: long
site guiding the placement of the crane. These form permit, amendment, use of premise permit
simple gestures are necessary for several (for using open space), electrical & fire alarm
reasons. Construction sites are often loud. There permits, plumbing, gas, and sprinkler installation
is a lot of space between the crane operator and permits.
the individual conducting the crane’s motions.
The dual perspectives of crane operator and Call Boston Public Works Department 24 hours
conductor are critical in ensuring safety and prior to work to get a permit. Coordinate with
precision. recycling, santiation, and street sweeping. Signs
must be posted near the sitewith the construction
schedule. In addition to this, it may be required to
hire an officer to direct traffic.
Hoist Lower Raise Boom Lower Boom
Swing Raise Boom + Lower Boom + Stop

Lower Load Raise Load
Hand signals
INTRODUCTION
Obstacles on a construction site
There are a variety of existing physical barriers
that must be worked around. These can lead to
interesting, even fruitful design moves. They
includew but are not limited to:
Utility poles
DETERMINANTS
Power lines
Lamp posts
Trees
Fire hyrdants
Subterranian utilities
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Off Frame Assembly
Site Dimensions Determined by

Truck Turn
Truck turn dimensions can influence the decision
to use a site or not. Sometimes scale and cost
20'
can dictate the use of an off frame assembly
system. Often obstacles, like powerlines, can 6'
make modular construction on a site unfeasible
52'
without the use of an off frame solution. Still other
obstacles, like sidewalks and buildings
6'
surrounding the site (both immediately and across
the street), can impact the delivery of an off frame
modular unit.
Knowing the limits and minimum site dimensions

can transform a once unusable site into a
valuable piece of real estate. Standard Semi Truck
minimum site dimensions
Efficiency 20’ wide x 53’ deep
Efficiency percentage is calculated by dividing the
module dimensions
8’-6” wide x 53’ deep
area of the module by the area of the smallest
possible rectangular site. It is clear that the most
dense and efficient module-site relationship
happens when the module is shorter and wider,
as in the case of the oversized load (width)
example.
Module Site 43 %
INTRODUCTION
41' 25' 17'
DETERMINANTS
6' 6' 6'
53' 53' 53'
6' 6' 6'
DEPLOYMENT
Stretch Semi Truck Oversized Load (Width) Oversized Load (Length)
minimum site dimensions minimum site dimensions minimum site dimensions
41’ wide x 80’ deep 25’ wide x 48’ deep 17’ wide x 63’ deep
module dimensions module dimensions module dimensions
8’-6” wide x 80’ deep 16’ wide x 48’ deep 16’ wide x 48’ deep
CONTEXT
21 % 64 % 50 %
PRECEDENTS
Off Frame Assembly
From Truck to Site Off-Frame Modular Delivery

Module delivery is possible without a crane. The
truck begins its delivery by backing into the site.
Next jacks are placed underneath the module,
taking the load off of the transportation chassis.
The chassis is then removed by pulling it out into
the street. In some cases, like the illustrated
scenario, a chassis must be cut into pieces
because the distance between the in place
module and existing structure across from the site
does not allow its removal.
Backing up Entering site

INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
Placing jacks under module Removing chassis from site Breaking up chassis
PRECEDENTS
Site Access + Assembly
Sources
Rent A Crane, Inc. http://www.rentacraneinc.com/equipment.html
Capitol Building Supply. 2008. http://cbsigms.com/pricing/cranecharges.pdf
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. September 2010. http://www.pnl.gov/contracts/hoist_rigging/

mobile_cranes.asp#cranetypes
Wikipedia. 2010 2, November. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crane_(machine)
National Modular Housing Council. http://www.manufacturedhousing.org/mc/admin/template/

brochures/70temp.pdf
City of Boston.2010. http://www.cityofboston.gov/isd/building/boa/permittypes.asp
City of Boston. 2010. http://www.cityofboston.gov/transportation/
Star-Flite Systems. http://www.flickr.com/photos/starflite-systems/4930960368/sizes/m/in/

photostream/
California Crane School. 2004-2010. http://www.californiacraneschool.com/
Pennsylvania Crane School. 2009. http://www.pennsylvaniacraneschool.com/crane_practical_test.

asp
Gokturk, Nurhan. Personal Interview. 13 October 2010.
Curbed Los Angeles. http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/01/watching_a_pref.php
University of Arkansas. http://architecture.uark.edu/719.htm

Modular Strategies
Modular Strategies • 38

Logistics
Module Allowable Widths
Modular strategies provide several benefits to the
Module Allowable Widths
12’-0” standard
construction process. The use of modules greatly
reduces time for the construction schedule (see
12’-0” standard
below) by allowing builders to work
simultaneously on and off site. In working
primarily off-site, negative impacts on the
environment 8’-6” no permitting
and post-construction site revival required (standard)
12’-0” permit required (wide)
are greatly reduced.
14’-0” escort required (wide)
special route required (oversize) 8’-6” no permitting required (standard)
16’-0”
Module dimensions are determined by the 12’-0” permit required (wide)
14’-0” escort required (wide)
Massachusetts Department of Transportation. special route required (oversize)
16’-0”
MassDOT codes restrict travel of certain trucks
and load sizes during high volume traffic hours.
Module Allowable Lengths
Module Allowable Lengths
standard
12’-0”
standard oversize maximum
40’-0”
53’-0” standard oversize
76’-0”
40’-0”
53’-0”
Site Built Construction Schedule 76’-0”
DESIGN PERMITING ON-SITE ON-SITE ON-SITE
schematics + documents submission + approvals preparation + foundation building construction site restoration
Modular Construction Schedule

DESIGN PERMITING ON-SITE ON-SITE TIME SAVED
schematics + documents submission + approvals preparation + foundation site restoration schedule reduced by 30% to 50%
OFF-SITE
building construction
INTRODUCTION
Steel Frame Modular
steel form deck

6” ceiling joists
DETERMINANTS
HSS frame
steel form deck
3” concrete
HSS frame
steel studs
gwb
cladding
DEPLOYMENT
Steel framed modules are constructed with a
hollow structural steel frame that is infilled with
light gague steel studs. The modules arrive on
site with interior and exterior finish materials
installed, are fastened to one another and
finishing touches are made. The steel module
shown to the right allows for the construction of a
maximum twelve story building.
CONTEXT
exploded axonometric
mate-line
concrete floor
mate-line
PRECEDENTS
gwb ceiling
2 layers type x gwb
mineral wool fire stop
firesafing
marriage wall section
Logistics
Wood Frame Modular
gwb ceiling
2 x 6 ceiling joists
gwb finish wall
(2) 2 x 12 beam
floor sheathing
2x4 studs (2) 2 x 10 beam
2x10 floor joists
2x6 studs
sheathing
cladding
Wood framed modules are built using typical

wood construction methods. Wood beams and
studs act as the main structure, with exterior
sheathing to prevent racking. Interior and exterior
finishes come installed in the module. Wood
modules are often limited in height by local codes
for wood construction.
gwb finish wall

osb sheathing
exploded axonometric
2 x 10 joists
(2) 2x12 beam
air space
2 x 6 ceiling joists
gwb finish ceiling
2 x 4 stud wall
marriage wall section

INTRODUCTION
Shipping Container Modular
steel corrugated roof
corrugated side wall
steel square tube
steel block
DETERMINANTS
steel post
steel channel
1” plywood floor
steel joists
rubber gasket
securing bars
Shipping container modules can come from
steel doors
actual recycled shipping containers, or can be
custom constructed for specific projects.
DEPLOYMENT
Shipping containers are intended to be stacked
for the transportation of goods, and therefore
stack easily as well to form buildings. The
corrugated side walls provide a lot of the
containers strucural capacity, and need to be
reinforced with columns if sections are removed
as shown above exploded axonometric
CONTEXT
steel angle below
steel channel at plywood seam
corrugated side wall
steel joists below
corrugated end wall
steel permieter beam
1” plywood floor
PRECEDENTS
steel bottom block
steel vertical support
structure detail plan

Site Placement Strategies
On-Frame Modular
chassis set module on piers detach chassis
There are two main strategies for placing modular Off-frame construction (see below) is commonly
buildings on to a site. On-frame construction (see used for multi-story buildings. The module is
above), also known as mobile homes, is limited to placed onto the back of a flat-bed truck for
single story structures. Modules are placed on a shipment, and is craned into its site upon arrival.
chassis, hitched to a truck, and brought to site. The modules can be stacked according to local
The chassis is lowered onto a set of piers and zoning and codes, as well as the structural
detached from the truck. The chassis and wheels integrity of the system. Off-frame systems are
are left beneath the module, making the structure typically viewed as permanant.
temporary in nature
Off-Frame Modular
flat-bed truck strap module to crane place module on foundation

INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
anchor module to ground add skirting
DEPLOYMENT
craning sequence
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
anchor module to foundation
Aggregation Techniques
There are several ways modules can be Non-attached Semi-attached
aggregated to form a building. Modules can be
not attached, semi attached, or attached as seen
in the diagrams to the right. Here are several
examples of how modules can be aggregated
within the different levels of attachment. The
examples listed are existing aggregation
techniques in their simplest form.
The ability of modules to be stacked and shifted

is reliant on their structural integrity. Different
construction methods will allow for smaller or Solo Framework
larger cantilever dimensions and variable building
heights. The height of modular buildings is also
reliant on local zoning codes for specific materials
Field Field joint

Puma City, to the right, is a great example of
aggregated modules where one can actually see
the aggregation technique clearly. Modules
oberseve stack : shift relationships as well as
mate and bridge.
INTRODUCTION
Attached : Mate Attached : Stack Attached : Void
DETERMINANTS
Mate Stack Void : Bridge
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
Mate : Shift Stack : Shift Void: Bridge
PRECEDENTS
Mate : Turn Stack : Turn
Mechanical Systems
Modular Building Parts

As the number of modules in a modular building
increases, the complexity by which they are
attached also grows. A solo module arrives
ready for use, and must only be tied into the
foundation. As more modules are introduced
there is a system by which their mechanical
components are connected. Stacked modules
require shafts, similar to that of standard
buildings, to carry mechanical lines. Large in-site foundation typical module interstitial module
buildings with high volume HVAC and plumbing
systems can introduce interstitial modules to
allow lateral movement of systems in between
stacked modules.
Mechanical + Modular Connections
solo module adjacent modules stacked modules

INTRODUCTION
Shipping Container Connections
DETERMINANTS
shaft space mechanical systems
DEPLOYMENT
electrical connection
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
shipping container mechanical units
stacked : adjacent modules individual container mechanical box

Modular Strategies
Sources
“Distill Studio: Projects.” 2009.http://distillstudio.com/?page_id=9 (accessed Oct. 2010).
Garrison,James. Modular Architecture Manual. Kullman Offsite Construction. Lebanon:

Kullman Buildings Corp, 2008.
Modular Building Institute, “Permanant Modular Construction: Annual Report.”
2010.http://www.modular.org/documents/document_publication/permanent2010.
pdf (accessed Oct. 2010).
“LOT-EK.” http://www.lot-ek.com/ (accessed Oct. 2010).
“Shipping Container Drawings.” Oct. 27, 2009. http://www.arktist.com/ArkPhoenix/

ShippingContainerDwgs/containerdwgs.html (accessed Oct. 2010).
Images
Melissa Goldfarb
John Wilde
http://www.lot-ek.com
http://www.kullman.com
Component Strategies
Component Strategies • 50

Definitions
Prefab construction is often associated with
whole modules or shipping container architecture.
However, there are other component strategies
that qualify as prefabicated construction.
Fabricated Unit Panel System Precast Concrete

Fabricated units as defined by this section are Panel systems contain integrated systems within Precast concrete is fabricated in a multitude of
typically made of extruded or poured metal one component. Often included are structural, sizes. Precast components are comprised of an
(aluminum or steel) The units range in scale from thermal/waterproofing, electrical, mechanical internal steel rebar framework and high tolerance
a small fasteners to steel bridge trusses. For the systems. Made up of a sandwich of concrete. Concrete is meant to withstand
consideration of construction and design logics, complementary materials. How the panels are transport to and movement on site. Units are
metal fabricated components from the single stud handled on site is dependent on the weight and limited in weight and dimensions based on the
to the 300’-0” bridge truss are in this category. size of each piece. smallest unit of transportation. Refer to the
Transportation chapter for size limitations.
INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
Kit-of-Parts
The Kit-of-Parts is a packaged set of components
that results in a cohesive end product, not
categorized by materiality; often the shipping
PRECEDENTS
package is used as a portion of the finished
product. It can include any number and
combination of the fabricated unit, the panel
system, or precast components. Coordination of
products is done off-site then delivered.
On-Site Labor
The benefit of prefabricated systems is mostly
realized in the reduction of construction on-site
labor. Prefabricating components, panels, or
modules can significantly reduce the amount of
time workers are present at the site. The
reduction of on-site time obviously reduces
construction labor cost but also has the potential
to reduce the amount of errors experienced at the
construction site.
However, a consequence of prefabrication is that

the building components grow in size. Increased
sizes result in the need to utilize more man-power
and exra equipment. Transport equipment
maximum loads need to be considered in the
design of the components. Logistics in transfer
are key limitations to designing structurally sound
pieces that can handle transport and the loads
inherent in the building design.
Extra time is needed than on-site construction

calculating and coordinating the connecting
components because on-site flexibility is severly
decreased. Increased coordination is then
necessary for any building components not built
as part of the prefabricated system, ie: the
foundation. Since prefabrication alters the time
and means for on-site labor it is important to
understand the relationship of on-site personnel
to the size and type of prefabricated component.
launching and construction of

Bailey Bridge with manual labor
INTRODUCTION
Relationship of On-site Labor and Component Transfer
Labor Personnel Component Max. Weight Dimensions
51 lbs 2” H × 4” W x 8’-0” L
DETERMINANTS
150 lbs 10’-0” H x 4’-0” W x 6” L
577 lbs 5’-0” H x 1’-0” W x 10’-0” L
DEPLOYMENT
< 2,000 lbs 4’ H x 4’ W x 3’-4” L
< 2,000 lbs 5’-0” H × 4’-0” W × 8’-0” L
CONTEXT
20,000 lbs 11’-6” H x 8’-0” W x 48’-0” L
PRECEDENTS
25,000 lbs 15’-0” H x 60’-0” W x 9’-0” L
Fabricated Units
Fabricated units have the advantage of being
constructed in a controlled environment.
Compared to stick-built methodology, fabrication
groups the individual studs, beams and joists
within a factory setting. Instead of installing and
connecting each stud to the foundation through
the footer of a wall, the framing is made into a
component that includes the header, footer and
all the studs for a predetermined length of wall.
Degrees of Prefabrication
Stud Stud Panel Bridge Truss
elevation
plan
INTRODUCTION
Roof Structure
Interior Finish
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT PRODUCT

Floor Slab
DETERMINANTS
Framing
Column-Beam Connection
DEPLOYMENT
Cladding
Apetures
CONTEXT
Foundation
Fabricated Unit Logic
PRECEDENTS
Steel Frame Construction
Fabricated Units compose the structural framing.

Other systems, energy, aesthetics, and openings
are additive to the unit.
Panel System
3
4
Panellized construction minimizes on-site

construction. Construction materials typically 1
fastened on-site are compiled into a component
constructed in the controlled factory environment.
Most common type of panel system is SIPs,
structural insulated panels.
SIPs are comprised of a thick layer of insulation

between two layers of OSB, oriented strand
board. A basic SIPs panel is composed of both
structure and insulation layer.
Panel systems may increase material cost by up

to 50% but on-site labor cost can potentially Panel Connections
decrease by 50%. The benefit exists in the Connections Fastener Spacing
precision of factory controlled construction with
isolation from problems that exist at the site. 1. Track to Level Platform countersunk screw 2 screws per 24”
1 screw in between
Installation of the panels is based on 2. Track to Panel screw 2 screws per stud
methodology developed for the specific system. 3. Panel to Panel screw (ex: wafer head) 12” OC
Different systems will have different advantages: 4. Track to Panel* screw 2 screws per stud
whether the panel is lightweight or resistent to *upper track connected after 12’-0” of panels installed
weather, earthquakes, winds, insects, debris.
DUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT PRODUCT
Last Panel
Initial Panel
Panel Installation Sequence

Precast Concrete
Structural Components 1 2 3 4
Slabs
length factor by function of service
width by transportation restriction
5 6 7
Beams
depth is dependent on length 10
length is function of capacity load
Columns
1. Solid
height is dependent on the width
2. Hollow Core
8 9 3. Single Tee
Precast concrete construction is most readily 4. Double Tee
seen within the city as infrastructure. It is a 5. Rectangular
versitile construction type. Any shape and size is 6. Inverted Tee
possible as long as the overall component 7. L-shaped
conforms to the smallest restrictions on size 8. Round|Rectangle
based on transportation used to get from 9. Square
precaster to the job site. Refer to the 10. Double Height
Transportation Sub-Chapter for restraints, per
transport type.
The efficiency of precast concrete units becomes

apparent in the repeatability of the shape. Composition of Precast
Formwork is expensive to fabricate. The more
materials and accessories
rebar
sophisticated the form the higher the cost. Similar
concrete: portland cement, water,
shapes with minimal pour adjustments will result
air, aggregate
in the most cost efficient use of the form.
formwork
positive/negative connection keys
Utilizing precast as a technology will add
epoxy cementitious grout:
additional time to the initial phase of the project
between precast segments/
for design/calculations and decrease on-site time.
components
INTRODUCTION
Precast Fabrication to Construction Site
Fabrication of a precast unit mirrors the method
in which the unit will be installed at the site.
Short Line Casting System

Inside Formwork
DETERMINANTS
Bulkhead
New Segment
Older Segment
Older Segment
Soffit adjustable formwork for precast segments
DEPLOYMENT
Carriage
New Old
Outside Formwork
CONTEXT
Long Line Casting System
Outside Formwork Elevation
PRECEDENTS
Inside Formwork
Plan
Kit-of-Parts
Examples
Container End Product
Sunshower Kit
Bailey Bridge Kit
A Kit-of-Parts is not defined by the specific

materials and items contained, but defined by the
nature of it arriving to the construction site as a
cohesive unit. The package the kit arrives in can
either be designed into the finished product or
transported away if not being used; it is a matter
of preference. In the interest of decreasing
transportation costs it may be ideal and
sustainable to introduce the transporting unit to
the final design.
INTRODUCTION
structure
doors
windows
DETERMINANTS
container
casework
fasteners
panels
DEPLOYMENT
plumbing
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Contained in the Kit
Component Strategies
Sources
Precast Concrete by NEU School of Architecture Graduate Students Fall 2009 (Michelle Callinan, Daniel Riggs, Chris Kuczynski with Matthew Littell)
Barker, James M. “Construction Techniques for Segmental Concrete Bridges” 1980.

http://www.pci.org/pdf/publications/journal/1980/July-August/JL-80-JULY-AUGUST-9.pdf
ToolBase techSpace: Panelized Wall Systems

http://www.toolbase.org/pdf/techinv/panelizedwallsystems_techspec.pdf
US Department of Housing and Urban Development “Design, Fabrication and Installation of Engineered Panelized Walls: Two Case Studies”
http://www.huduser.org/Publications/PDF/panelized_walls.pdf
Images:
http://www.enlisted.info/field-manuals/fm-5-277-bailey-bridge.shtml
http://www.usace.army.mil/History/hv/Pages/098-Role_of_US_Army_Corps.aspx
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42108746@N00/30019541/
http://tinyhouseblog.com/galapagos.html
http://www.steelworksnz.co.nz/projects/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nycstreets/4831935944/
http://www.kozialconstruction.com/
Barker, James M. “Construction Techniques for Segmental Concrete Bridges” 1980.

http://tulane.edu/news/newwave/081710_sunshower.cfm
http://www.metamere.com/images/segmentalbridgeunderconstruction4.jpg
http://www.mtc.ca.gov/images/ta02-0307/skyway.jpg
http://www.gautrain.co.za/web_images/_2S22gQ.jpg
http://www.djc.com/stories/images/20090716/DSCN1968_big.jpg

Deployment Tactics
INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
Deployment: the distribution of resources in Precedent research was integral to the
preparation for work. development of this chapter, where the analysis
CONTEXT
helps to create subtle links between the urban
Tactics: any mode of procedure for gaining context and each precedent to foster design
success. discoveries. Overall, projects were selected
based upon the following criteria:
• Clarity of the deployment method
Deployment Tactics takes an in-depth look at • Unique prefab implementation
PRECEDENTS
current techniques to rapidly deliver prefab • Relationship to the urban condition
architecture and infrastructure. This chapter • Success of the conceptual approach
studies projects with unique construction • Scale: S - XXL
solutions, which can be useful in the urban
context.
Deployment Tactics • 66
Density on Demand
Density on Demand • 68

Definition and Factors + Transport and Location
Defining Density on Demand

The creation of superimposed urbanism
developed through quick aggregation of compact
structures became a perfect model for
prefabrication. Not only did it minimize on-site
construction but each piece could be shipped
around the world to develop communities
wherever shelter was needed. This “Density on
Demand” can be seen in military bases,
emergency relief shelters and temporary housing
developments.
Creating Density on Demand

There is specific criteria in creating urbanism
from prefabricated construction. Being quickly
assembled and disassembled to minimize on-site
construction takes full advantage of factory
prefabrication. This also means the finished
product includes little or no site work and a light
footprint for a structure that is easily moved
around to various geographic locations and
climates. Aggregation becomes important to
maximize population density within compact
limitations if there is any need for downtown city
prefab infill.
Factors
• Mobility
• Adaptability
• Quick On-Site Installation
• Light Footprint
INTRODUCTION
Mobility + Adaptability
The ability to be transported to a site fully
constructed, with minimal site work, creates
opportunities for a potential site, regardless of
location, for instant urbanism. The fact these
mobile shelters can be erected on site then
DETERMINANTS
moved whenever needed adds a unique aspect to
their designs. In the case of the Quonset hut,
since it was developed for multiple regions
around the world, it incorporated sleds, wheels,
chassis or even empty oil drums as pontoons to
be transported. Mobile or HUD code homes
maintain the chassis used in transport while
DEPLOYMENT
occupying a site which can be reused in order to
move the building to a different location.
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Construction
On-Site Installation
The amount of time spent with on-site
construction has a significant effect on
implemention strategies. Instant urbanism is
automatically tied to its connection with the earth,
the amount of on-site earthwork involved and the
permanence of those connections. The Quonset
Hut and Fema Trailers are two examples that
minimize sitework and on-site construction to Wood Frame House
create efficient instant urbanism. Sitework is able
to proceed in parallel with the prefabrication
process so when the materials arrive on site there
is a minimum amount of work to prepare in order
to receive the structure. The Quonset Hut has all
of its pieces prefabricated on-site and utilizes
simple connections in the field for quick
installation. HUD code and mobile homes in
general are completely prefabricated, the chassis
being reused on-site as supports and remaining
attached to the unit. Mobile/HUD Code Home
Installation Time
Wood Frame House + foundation - One Month
Quonset Hut - One Day Quonset Hut
Mobile Home - Six Hours (approx.)

Connections
Light Footprint Temporary Construction

Aspects which affect the lightness of a footprint
are the permanence of the structure and the
mobility for which it is designed. One crucial
characteristic is the amount of earth displaced
upon construction. This raises the question as to
where to store or use this extra earth, particularly
in cases of wood frame houses that incorporate
a crawlspace or basement. More temporary
buildings like the Quonset Hut and mobile homes
end up with little or no displacement other than
surface contact creating the perfect opportunity
for rapid deployment and installation for disaster
relief or other instant shelter needs.
Quonset Hut
Displaced Earth Footprint

3000sf Wood Frame House w/basement - 9,600ft3 Sill Plates
3000sf Wood Frame House w/crawlspace - 3,840ft 3
Minimal Earth Interaction

1000sf Quonset Hut w/Sill Plates - 16ft3 Earth Displaced
1000sf Quonset Hut w/Slab on Grade - 320ft 3 16 ft3
1000sf Mobile Home w/Footings - 12.4ft 2

INTRODUCTION
Temporary Construction
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
Quonset Hut
Slab on Grade
PRECEDENTS
Earth Displaced
320 ft3
Connections
Semi-Permanent Construction
Mobile Home
Concrete Piers
Footings
Earth Displaced
37.3 ft3
INTRODUCTION
Permanent Conventional Construction
Wood Frame
House
DETERMINANTS
Basement
DEPLOYMENT
Displacement
9600ft3
Wood Frame
House
CONTEXT
Crawlspace
PRECEDENTS
Displacement
3840ft3
Process
Raw Material Delivery Components
On-Site Storage On-Site Fabrication
Factory Prefabrication Off-Site Storage On-Site Installation
Delivery
INTRODUCTION
Recycled +
Quonset Hut Relocated
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
Erection Military Base Military Base
CONTEXT
Disaster Relief
Trailer Park Trailer Park
PRECEDENTS
Recylced +
Mobile Home Unit Relocated
Density on Demand
Sources
Allegheny Construction & Remodeling. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <http://www.alleghenybuilt.com/

garagespolebuildings.html>.
Cotsalas, Valerie. “Standoff at Nassau’s Last Trailer Park.” The New York Times - Breaking News,
World News & Multimedia. 13 Jan. 2008. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/>.
Decker, Julie, and Chris Chiei. Quonset Hut: Metal Living for a Modern Age. New York: Princeton
Architectural, 2005.
“Excel Home Factory Photos.” Modular Homes Consumer Guide Manufactured Home Floorplans and
Prices. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <http://www.modulartoday.com/gallery-excelfactory.html>.
Parasite + Barnacle
Parasite + Barnacle • 80

Urban Infill Sites
Infill: n. A material that fills in an otherwise

unoccupied space.
Urban Infill: n. An architecture that is built in

vacant or unused urban space.
Infill architecture maximizes the left-over space

within previously developed urban conditions. It
takes advantage of unused spaces, difficult or
atypical sites, and existing structures within the
urban context by building “up and out.” The sites
for infill architecture can be found in-between, on
top of, below, within, or on the side of existing
structures.
Prefabricated designs are the perfect solution for

infill architecture. Due to dense urban
environments, infill sites are difficult to build on
and may require as little on-site assembly as
possible. Prefabricated designs, primarily
constructed in the factory whenever possible,
would allow architecture to be built on sites that
would otherwise not have been developed.
Infill Site Possibilities

INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
“Within” “On Side”
DEPLOYMENT
“Typical Infill”
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
“Below” “Above”
Definitions
Prefabricated architecture that responds to these

infill conditions can be categorized into two types:
parasite or barnacle. Parasite and barnacle
prefab depends upon it’s host for structure, real
estate, systems, circulation, or regulatory
benefits.
Parasite
Parasite: n. An organism that has a symbiotic

relationship with its host: while the host is not hurt
by the parasite, it also does not benefit. The
parasite takes advantage of various features of
remora feeding on shark
the host. Parasites are generally smaller than
their host, show a high degree of specialization
for their mode of life, and reproduce at a faster
rate than their hosts.
Parasite prefab is a type of prefabricated

architecture that specifically responds to infill site
possibilities within the urban environment.
Parasitical characteristics are represented as
parasite prefab benefits from utilizing existing
structures (hosts) within an architectural context.
This architecture depends upon the existing
structure and is unable to survive on its’ own.
It is migratory and temporary, with the ability to
move from host to host. Parasite prefab can
depend upon its’ host for all five of the benefits
listed above.
parasite architecture precedent
INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
Barnacle
Barnacle: n. A crustacean that lives permanently
attached to a hard substrate or submerged
surface.
DEPLOYMENT
Barnacle prefab is a similar type of prefabricated barnacles attached to a rock
architecture to parasite prefab, as it responds to
infill site possibilities within the urban
environment in a similar way. Barnacle prefab
does attach itself to an existing structure, but the
main difference is that it can survive on its own.
CONTEXT
Barnacle prefab is self-sufficient, with separate
independent systems from its host. Primarily, the
barnacle prefab would only utilize the host for
structural or real estate purposes. It is more
permanent than parasite prefab.
PRECEDENTS
barnacle architecture precedent
Parasite Precedents
Just the Facts:

1997
Rathenow, Germany
mixed-use commercial + residential fit-up
900sm addition of 12 prefab containers
This project is an addition to the rear of a 19th

century building in a tight courtyard-like site. The
containers were prefitted and assembled 500 km
away. It took one day to deliver the containers on
a standard size flatbed and one day to assemble
with the help of a crane. They are housed on a
concrete columnn and beam structure. The
materials of the container are reinforced
concrete, corrugated aluminum panels/sheeting,
and steel frame insulated wall and roof panels.
The building was gutted and prepared for the
systems to recieve containers which were
assembled with insulation and all necessary
systems in the factory. These units are “plugged
into” service systems within the floor
compartment of the existing building.
Housing & Commercial Block

Klaus Sill & Jochen Keim
INTRODUCTION
Container Addition
DETERMINANTS
Interstitial Space
g
tio
ce
in
di
pa
ild
Ad
Bu
lS
er
ia
g
in
t it
t in
ta
rs
Existing Building
is
on
te
Ex
In
DEPLOYMENT
C
Unoccupiable Space

The twelve prefabricated containers are “plugged

into” a concrete structural system. This addition
CONTEXT
acts as parasite prefab because the containers
are attached to and feed on the systems of the
existing building. The structural system of
concrete beams and columns is directly
connected to the structural system existent in the
host building. These containers can not exist on
their own; they rely on the host building to
PRECEDENTS
efficiently function. The containers were designed
to be added to the existing building, yet this
additional structural system causes a large
percentage in loss of usable or functional space
of the 900 square meter addition. Unoccupiable Space
Parasite Precedents
Just the Facts:

2001
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
85 gross square meters
Residential / Temporary Exhibition
This project was designed as a temporary

addition to a former warehouse building for an
exhibition. The addition was located at the top of
a small elevator shaft on the warehouse building,
thus determining the size of the compact plan.
This project represents parasite prefab as it is
structurally supported by the host building, draws
from the services of the existing building, and was
designed to be temporary.
This project is composed of load-bearing

insulated panels, but the shape makes it
dependent on the existing elevator shaft for
strucutural support. The assembly of these
panels on site took just a few days. The parasite
prefab addition drew from the many services of
the existing building, inluding the circulation
system. As this was designed and assembled for
Las Palmas Parasite an exhibition, the structure was moved to a
P.A.R.A.S.I.T.E. PROJECT storage location by crane, road, and water
Kortknie Stuhlmacher Architecten trasportation.
INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
Road Transport
Existing Systems
DEPLOYMENT
Crane Transport
CONTEXT
Parasite Circulation
Water Transport
Existing Circulation
PRECEDENTS
Crane Site Assembly Assembly Section
Barnacle Precedents
Just the Facts:

2009
Residential
Unbuilt Project
This project was designed through parametric 3D

modeling software and was intended to be built
on any unused spaces within the urban fabric
such as blank facades, rocks, or bridges. This
project, as the architect said, “finds value by
turning dead public space into lively private
space.” It was intended as a tool for sustainable
urban densification.
This project has a structural panel that would bolt

the prefabricated element to the surface of the
host or existing structure. The panelized
components would be quick and easy to
assemble on site after the structural plate is
attached. The circulation system here is a
staircase that can retract up into the building. As
a result, the only actual footprint of the building
would be the staircase landing of the retractable
stairs and the services duct.
Parasite Prefab
Lara Calder Architects
INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
Existing Building Barnacle Addition
DEPLOYMENT
Independent Barnacle Circulation
Connecting Bolt Plate
Circulation Section
CONTEXT
Services Shaft
PRECEDENTS
Independent Barnacle Circulation
Assembly Section
3 Barnacle Precedents
Just the Facts:
Date: 1998
Location: Sevilla, Spain
Typology: Temporary Scaffolding / Residential
Santiago Parejo, through his Recetas Urbanas

projects, is an architect who designs architecture
that exploits gaps in currect building codes,
administration, and legislation. He tries to find
sites that offer real estate for various prefab
additions to be built to existing buildings or
structures throughout the city. He calls many of
his projects, “Strategies for Subversive Urban
Occupation.” As Benedicte Grosjean writes in
ArchiLab’s Futurehouse (2002): “(Cirugeda)
formulates realistic and empirical strategies to
push the law to its limits and find pockets of non-
law in which to develop a possible habitat.”
In the Urban Shelter Building, Parejo finds a loop

hole in local legislation that would allow someone
to build their own shelter or “urban reserve.”
Construction scaffolding can form a temporary
room almost anywhere. It can either be
Urban Shelter Building connected to the interior or completely separate.
Recetas Urbanas Parejo’s temporary scaffolding room is always
Santiago Cirugeda Parejo accessible from the public street and thus is only
using the host building for real estate/regulatory
reasons.
In Sevilla, a minor work license must be obtained
INTRODUCTION
and the scaffolding project must be approved by
an architect. The scaffolding, composed of 60 x
60 x 3 mm beams and 100 x 10 mm collars of
galvanized steel, was assembled with a group of
welders who helped to form the steel ribs. The
structure was then covered by flexible sheets of
PVC foam. Storage space was added to give the
DETERMINANTS
structure more function. The last step was to add
a movable staircase and the project was ready to
go as a temporary shelter.
DEPLOYMENT
Independent BarnacleCirculation
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Assembly Section
Parasite + Barnacle
Sources
Brayer, Marie-Ange, and Béatrice Simonot. ArchiLab’s Futurehouse: Radical Experiments in Living
Space. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2002.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infill
http://www.collagecityfilm.com/archives/category/musings
http://www.remoratrade.com/
http://www.kortekniestuhlmacher.nl/laspalmas.html
http://www.kortekniestuhlmacher.nl/laspalmas.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasitism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnacle
http://www.calderflower.com.au/
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/7625/lara-calder-architects-parasite-prefab.html
http://www.recetasurbanas.net/index.php
Instant Utopia
Instant Utopia • 94

Introduction
Utopia: n. An ideally perfect place, especially in

its social, political, and moral aspects.
The idea of creating an utopian architecture or the utopian theme. Ultimately, adaptability to
urban fabric has often been a romanticized con- specificities that site conditions present is what
cept rather than realistic one. While it is not new, gives prefabricated architecture an advantage
the idea still intrigues architects today for various over the traditional stick built type.
reasons: control, efficiency, master planning, etc.
During the renaissance, designers and artists Instant Utopia consists of three precedents that
such as Johannes Andreae and Bartolomeo were selected due to the clarity of the type for
Andreae’s Christianopolis , 1619 which they represent. Those buildings are as
flirted with the concept of the perfect world, the
Garden of Eden, and published catalogues of follows:
their engraving and writings on the subject. 1. Nakagin Capsule Tower, Kisho K. 1972
2. Habitat ‘67, Moshe Safdie, 1967
Today, there is a limited number of actual built 3. Metastadt, Richard Dietrich, 1972
projects that fall within the realm of utopia. An identifying name is given to each building type
Instant Utopia attempts to identify the key fea- that clearly addresses the unique attributes of the
tures of this architecture in regards to deploy- type. The following page goes into further detail,
ment. Prefabricated architecture, whether in the identifying the key features of this type and creat-
form of modular/capsule living environments, or ing a usable language for the precedents.
Bartolomeo’s City of Truth, 1609 panelized systems, is integral to the creation of

INTRODUCTION
The Plug-In Tower is both directly and indirectly a The Plug-In Tower
part of the urban context in which it sits. The
armature rises out of the complexity inherent in its
urban fabric, creating a resting place for the cap-
sules to plug in.
Not unlike a cancer The Expanding Monolith is
DETERMINANTS
unaffected by its context. It starts as an initial
growth and slowly, or rapidly, metastasizes into
an endlessly adaptable system, creating city out
of density.
The Artificial Hilltown explores the idea of making Dense Urban Fabric Plug-In Capsule
Ascending Armature
urbanism on a site, regardless of the contextual
environment. Flipping and re-aggregating the The Expanding Monolith
“blocks” to make a picturesque environment is
DEPLOYMENT
what gives the type its fake variety.
CONTEXT
Dense Urban Fabric Initial Monolith Expanding Effect
The Artificial Hilltown
PRECEDENTS
The Armature The Single Block Mirrored Blocks
Nakagin Capsule Tower
The Plug-In Tower
The Nakagin Capsule Tower is located in a dense Just The Facts:

business district of the Ginza area of Tokyo, Architect: Kisho Kurokawa
Japan. Originally, it was conceived of as a hotel Location: Ginza, Japan
for business men to stay at during the week. Program: Residential & Office
Today, it consists of 144 rental apartments. The Construction Schedule: 1970 – 1972
first floor includes a self-service cafe and the sec- Construction Type: Precast Concrete &
ond floor contains office space. Prefabricated Capsules
Kisho Kurokawa designed the Nakagin Tower in Number of Floors: 14
the midst of the metabolist movement of the Number of Capsules: 144
1960’s. At this time, leading architects envisioned Dimensions: 8’-0’’W x 13’-0’’L x 8’-0’’H
cities containing flexible and expanding struc- Vertical Circulation: 2 Elevator Cores & 2
tures. The Nakagin tower was the first fully real- Staircases
ized structure to develop from this movement. Horizontal Circulation: Prefab Bridges
The capsules were originally designed to have a Kitchens: Prefabricated Off-Site
life-span of 25 years, yet they continue to be used Bathrooms: Prefabricated Off-Site
today. It is highly debated whether the building Capsule Life-span: 25 years (and still going)
should be torn down due its intended life-span. Superstructure Life-span: 100 years
INTRODUCTION
The Armature Components
DETERMINANTS
1
Podium Precast Lift Shaft Stair Cores
DEPLOYMENT
3
CONTEXT
4
Armature Interim Bridges Entire Assembly
PRECEDENTS
Exploded Axonometric Armature: n. a framework to support the clay or
5 1. Precast Concrete Shell w/ Steel Frame other material used in modelling.

2. Plug-In Service Fins The tower is comprised of two, interconnected
3. Lightweight Precast Concrete Floor Plates towers which serve as the framework for the cap-
4. Precast Concrete Lift Shaft sules to rest on. The on-site preparation work to
5. Ground Level Podium - Office Space create the armature is the first stage.
The Capsule
7
Capsule Axonometric
8 1. Plumbing, Electrical, & Waste Lines
2. Vertical Plug-In Service Fin
3. Air Conditioning Duct
4. Air Conditioning Register
5. Prefabricated Bathroom
6. Built-In Desk
7. Moveable Chair
8. Built-In Bed
INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
1
DEPLOYMENT
4
CONTEXT
7
Typical Capsule Plan
1. Capsule Entrance
8
2. Prefabricated Bathroom
PRECEDENTS
3. Air Conditioning Chase
4. Interior Finish Surface
5. Welded Light-Weight Steel Truss Member “A”
6. Welded Light-Weight Steel Truss Member “B”
7. Built-In Bed
8. Circular Window
The Aggregation & Capsule Delivery
1 1
1
2
4
3 3
Components: Plan & Core

1. Typical Capsule
2. Lightweight Precast Concrete Floor Plate
3. Prefabricated Interim Bridge
4. Plug-In Service Fin Aggregation: Type 1 Aggregation: Type 2
5. Precast Concrete Shell w/ Steel Frame 1. Typical Side-Entry Capsule w/ Side Window 1. Typical Side-Entry Capsule w/ End Window
6. Prefabricated Lift Cage 2. Typical Front-Entry Capsule w/ Side Window 2. Typical Front-Entry Capsule w/ End Window
7. Typical Floor Entrance/Exit 3. Side Window Capsule Aggregation 3. End Window Capsule Aggregation
INTRODUCTION
Capsule Delivery
1. Capsule Base Connection Detail
2. Capsule Bolting Process
3. Capsule Bolting Connection Detail
4. Prefabrication - 3 Hour Assembly
5. Transportation - 500km
DETERMINANTS
6. Construction - 7-8 Months
DEPLOYMENT
1 2 3
CONTEXT
4 5 6
PRECEDENTS
Metastadt
The Expanding Monolith

Metastadt was designed to be a completely new Just The Facts:
typology in city design. It was thought of as an Architect: Richard J. Dietrich and Bernd
idealized form of luxury living that evolved out of Steigerwald
the German post-war lifestyle. Metastadt incorpo- Location: Wulfen, Germany
rated many modern-day conveniences such as Program: Residential, Office, & Retail
shopping, office space, open roof gardens, and Construction Schedule: 1965–72 (realized);
living space, which was intended to provide a 1969 (model)
sense of community. One key feature to Construction Type: Steel & Metal Panel
Metastadt’s conception was a flexible steel rig- Number of Units: 102
ging system that could grow or shrink over time. Modular Dimensions: 12’-0’’W x 12’-0’’L x
This structure provided the option for residents to 11’-0’’H
make additions by simply adding steel modules to Vertical Circulation: Elevator Cores &
the existing layout. Staircases
Kitchens: Prefabricated Off-Site
Unfortunately, due to technical faults that resulted Bathrooms: Prefabricated Off-Site
in poor insulation and water leaks, Medastadt was
demolished in the early 1980’s.
INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
Concept Image 1
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Richard Dietrich’s Model, 1969 Concept Image 2
The Construction Components
3 Assembled Bay: Front View
Assemble Bay Exploded Axonometric Assembled Bay: Interior View

1. Panelized Roofing System
2. Interior Floors & Ceilings
3. Modular Steel Framing System
4. Panelized Plug-In Fenestration
5. Metal Panel Exterior
INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
Stage 1
DEPLOYMENT
1
Steel Framing Module

2
Stage 2
CONTEXT
3
PRECEDENTS
Steel Framing Assembly
Steel Framing Axonometric
1. Void Module for Elevator Shaft
2. Typical Steel Framing Module
Stage 3 3. Second Floor Void Module
Habitat ‘67
The Artificial Hilltown
Moshe Safdie’s architectural thesis project at Just The Facts:

McGill University, “ A Three-Dimensional Modular Architect: Moshe Safdie
Building System”, laid out the theory and design Location: Montreal, Canada
components to what would eventually be called Program: Residential: 1 Bedroom (600 Sq. Ft.) –
Habitat ‘ 67. At the time, this project was just a 4 Bedroom (1,700 Sq. Ft.)
germ of an idea, but a few years later Safdie’s Construction Schedule: 4/7/66 – 2/28/67
thesis would be selected to be part of Montreal’s Construction Type: Precast Concrete
Expo ‘67. By the time the project was completed, Construction Cost: 13.5 Million
Safdie was just shy of thirty years old. Number of Floors: 12
Number of Units: 158 Units (354 “Boxes”)
Habitat ‘67 is set along the Saint Lawrence river, Dimensions: 17’-6’’W x 38’-6’’L x 11’-6’’H
just East of downtown Montreal. It contains a total Vertical Circulation: Multiple Elevator Cores and
of 354 precast concrete modular boxes that make Staircases at each Node
up 158 units. Each unit is equipped with a private Horizontal Circulation: Every Fourth Level
deck, and large open windows with views to Kitchens: Pre-Assembled Off-Site
downtown Montreal or the Saint Lawrence river. Bathrooms: Prefabricated Off-Site
Module Weight: 63.5 Metric Tons
INTRODUCTION
The Armature Components
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
1 2
Horizontal Circulation
CONTEXT
Armature Components
PRECEDENTS
1. Horizontal Walkway every 4th Floor
3 4 5
2. Parking Garage Vertical Circulation
3. Typical Core Staircase
4. Typical Elevator Shaft
5. Typical Intermediate Staircase
Constructing the Module
The Formwork Yard
The Formwork Yard Axonomentric

1. Concrete & Steel Faced Form
2. Formwork Chosen for Assembly of Unit 4
INTRODUCTION
1
DETERMINANTS
Stage 1 5
Stage 5
DEPLOYMENT
Stage 2
Stage 6
CONTEXT
3
Stage 3 Total Number of Steel Containers

Creating & Fastening the Module Walls
1. Assembling the Formwork
7
PRECEDENTS
2. Positioning the Formwork
3. Positioning the Steel Container
Stage 7 4. Closing the Steel Container
4 5. After Curing, Exposing the Module Walls
6. Positioning the Module Walls & Base
Stage 4 7. Post Tensioning the Module Walls & Base
Unit 4
1
5
6
Stage 1 Stage 5
9
2
Stage 2 Stage 6
3
10
Unit 4 Assembly
1. Precast Concrete Module “A”
2. Precast Concrete Module “B”
Stage 3 Stage 7 3. Plumbing & Electrical Installation

4. Fenestration
5. Flooring Installation
6. Unit Deck installation
11 7. Pre-Assembed Millwork
8. Prefabricated Fiberglass Bathrooms
12 9. Interior Wall Installation
4
10. Precast Concrete Roof
11. Unit Above
Stage 4 Stage 8
12. Roof Deck Above
INTRODUCTION
1
DETERMINANTS
2
DEPLOYMENT
4
CONTEXT
5
Unit 4 Exploded Axonometric Unit 4 Plan & Elevations
PRECEDENTS
1. Precast Concrete Roof
2. Fenestration
3. Interior Walls, Prefab Bathrooms, & Millwork
4. Wood Flooring
5. Precast Concrete Modules
6. Precast Concrete Deck
The Aggregation
Unit 1
1 Bedroom
Unit 2
2 Bedroom
Unit 1 Unit 7
Unit 3
2 Bedroom
Unit 4
2 Bedroom Unit 2 Unit 8
Unit 5
3 Bedroom
Unit 6
Unit 3
3 Bedroom Unit 9
Unit 7
3 Bedroom
Unit 8 Unit 4
3 Bedroom Unit 10
Unit 9
3 Bedroom
Unit 5
Unit 10
Unit 11
3 Bedroom
Unit 11
4 Bedroom
Unit Types Unit 6 Aggregation of Unitss

INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
1 2
DEPLOYMENT
Mirrored & Replicated Aggregation at Front
CONTEXT
3
Armature Components
PRECEDENTS
1. Type A
2. Type B 5
3. Type C - End Condition
4. Type D
Replicated Aggregation at Rear
5. Type E - End Condition

Instant Utopia
Sources
Bergdoll, and Peter Christensen. Home delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling. New York: MOMA, 2008
Campi, Mario. Skyscrapers: An Architectural Type of Modern Urbanism. Michigan: Birkhäuser, 2000
Förster, Wolfgang. Housing in the 20th and 21st Centuries. Michigan: Prestel, 2006
Gund, Graham. Habitat ‘67. New York: Queen’s Printer, 1967
Kurokawa,Kishō. Metabolism in Architecture. California: Studio Vista, 1977
Safdie, Moshe. Moshe Safdie, Volume 1. Australia: The Images Publishing Group, 2009
Images:
AboutArchitecture. Ed. Bryan Veloso.

http://aboutarchitecture.wordpress. com/2007/08/22/constant-and-vision-vs-reality/
MWArchitecture. Ed. Matt Ward.

http://mwarchitcture.blogspot.com/
Utopias Illustrated.
http://www.santa-coloma.net/voynich_drebbel/utopias/utopias.html
Wikipedia. 2001. 15 January

http://en.wikipedia.org
Extreme Prefab
Extreme Prefab • 116

General Information
Infrastructure construction in an urban
environment can provide some insight into the
potential of prefabricated architecture in the city.
Infrastructure construction often contends with
significant traffic congestion during typical work
hours. This section of the book looks into the use
of three assembly methods that are able to
overcome complicated urban obstacles. The
extra-large components used in these delivery
systems allow the construction to tread lightly on Advantages Quality Control
the urban fabric. The size of the components are
limited by transportation restrictions.
The construction methods outlined below Reduce

minimize the disturbance to the surrounding site, Traffic Congestion Offsite Construction
including congested transportation areas and
environmentally sensitive areas. Worker safety is Traff
Prefab
increased because a large portion of work is
performed on the ground.
Reduce Increased Worker
Environmental Speed Safety
Impact
Disadvantages
Transportation Heavy Low

Limitations Components construction Construction
tolerances staging

Launching Gantry Crane
The launching Gantry crane is a construction
method that reduces the impact on an urban Site Disturbance
environment during construction. The large
prefabricated components are able to be Construction
Undisturbed
Staging Area
assembled off site and transported to the
construction site on an as needed basis. This
reduces the need for large staging areas at the
Construction
construction site and reduces the impact on the Staging Area
area below the bridge spans.
This type of construction can be attributed to
vertical skyscraper construction, in where the
launching system uses the substructure to
support the crane. The superstructure is
incrementally built using the already assembled
superstructure as a counter balance for the
sections of the bride that are being erected.

INTRODUCTION
Back Span Bridge Span Crane Reach
DETERMINANTS
Substructure
Superstructure
Main Truss
Superstructure
Cross Beams
DEPLOYMENT
Substructure
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Construction Sequence
The launching gantry allows work to commence on two fronts. The crane Once one side of the structure is connected back to the remainder of the
spans between two substructures allowing superstructure components to superstructure it creates a back span for the forward components
be assembled on either side of the substructure creating a double balanced cantilevering half way to the next substructure.
cantilever.
INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
With the reach of the crane being limited to half the distance of the most The previous process is repeated as many times as needed to span the
forward span, the crane needs to be move forward to start the next span obstacle.
CONTEXT
and complete the previous segment.
PRECEDENTS
Incremental Launching
The theory of the incrementally launched bridge
consists of building the superstructure segments
Site Disturbance
in a assembly area located behind the bridge
abutment. Each segment is prestressed to the
Undisturbed
section of superstructure already built. The entire
superstructure is then jacked forward a distance
equal to the length of the segment. This process Construction
is repeated until the bridge is in its final position. Staging Area
The bridge is launched along temporary bearings
which allows the bridge to roll over the
substructure elements. Once the bridge is
complete the temporary bearings are replaced
with permanent bearings.
Incremental Launch System

INTRODUCTION
Assembly Area Bridge Span Launching Nose
(Bridge Span)
DETERMINANTS
Superstructure
Substructure Launching Jack Process
Temporary Roller Bearings
Lifting Pushing
DEPLOYMENT
Returning Lowering
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Incremental Launching
Once the substructures are set the launching nose and first segments of the The launching nose and first bridge section is jacked forward a distance
superstructure are constructed in the assembly area. equal to the length of the bridge segment. With the additional length of the
launching segment due to the launching nose, stress is reduced on the
bridge segment.
INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
Additional bridge sections are assembled in the assembly area and the The process is repeated as many times as needed to cross the obstacle.
launching sequence is repeated. The roller bearings attached to the top of The launching nose is disassembled when the bridge is in its final location.
CONTEXT
the substructure allow the superstructure to roll over the substructure. the roller bearings are replaced with permanent bearings.
PRECEDENTS
Extra-Large Prefab
With prefabricated components being limited in
size by transportation restrictions extreme prefab Site Disturbance
pieces need to turn to other modes of
transportation. Urban water ways could allow
supersized prefabricated components to be 99%
complete upon delivery to the site.
Construction
Staging Area
Extra-Large Prefab
INTRODUCTION
Transportation Logistics
195’
1500
40 Tons Clearances
Tons 35’
DETERMINANTS
Bardge Limitations
975’
105’
Collection of bardges allowed
above St. Louis river due to locks
15 Bardges and restricted water ways.
DEPLOYMENT
Collection of bardges allowed
280’
below St. Louis river with larger

locks and wide water ways.
Assembly Location
40 Bardges
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Extra-Large Prefab
Extreme prefab components are too large for vehicle transportation so The large bridge section is assembled on the barges to alleviate the need to
water transportation is typically used. The staging area or assembly area crane the bridge section onto the barge. An adjacent staging area can
needs to be adjacent to a water way that is connected to the final locations receive deliveries preferably from a local factory location.
of the bridge.
INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
The water route must be planned ahead of time to make sure the bridge Once the bridge section arrives at its final location, the section is floated
section can clear all obstacles. into place and jacked up into its final location. Finally, on site assembly
CONTEXT
occurs and the bridge is complete.
PRECEDENTS

Extreme Prefab
Sources
AASHTO -. Web. 02 Nov. 2010. <http://www.transportation.org
VSL International Ltd. | Post-tensioning | Structural Engineering. Web. 02 Nov. 2010. <http://www.vsl.
com/>.
Topic, By. Federal Highway Administration: Home. Web. 02 Nov. 2010. <www.fhwa.dot.gov/>.
“TRB 2005, Session 628: The Future Is Now... Successes in Bridge Construction - Highways for LIFE -
FHWA.” Federal Highway Administration: Home. Web. 02 Nov. 2010. <http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hfl/
ralls.cfm>.
“PCI Journal Magazine Archives.” Site Introduction - Welcome to PCI. Web. 02 Nov. 2010. <http://
www.pci.org/publications/journal/archive.cfm>.

Non-Physical Contexts
INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
The nonphysical context refers to the information
PRECEDENTS
needed in prefabrication that does not consist of
physical design attributes. This information
includes building codes, zoning laws, economics,
and policy. All of these aspects determine how
prefabrication operates in different urban areas
throughout the United States.
Non-Physical Contexts • 134
Building
Modular Code
Building Code • 136

Building Code
Sources
International Building Code
Massachusetts Building Code
Boston Redevelopment Authority

http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/press/PressDisplay.asp?pressID=209
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

http://www.hud.gov
“HOME WORK” by Matthew Littell
Two-Story Manufactured (HUD-Code) Homes

http://www.toolbase.org/Technology-Inventory/Whole-House-Systems/two-story-manufactured-homes
Eliminating Barriers to the Use of HUD-Code Housing in Attached Construction

http://www.huduser.org/publications/pdf/sfa_final.pdf
PATH
http://www.pathnet.org/
Manufactured Housing Institute

http://www.factorybuilthousing.com/Default.asp

TechPractices: New Colony Village
http://www.toolbase.org/Home-Building-Topics/Land-Use/New-Colony-Village
New Colony
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/keyword/new-colony
Zoning
ModularCode
Zoning Code • 144

Zoning Code
Sources
City of Little Rock Planning and Development

http://www.littlerock.org/citydepartments/planninganddevelopment/

Code of Ordinances, City of Charlottesville, VA
http://library1.municode.com/default-test/home.htm?infobase=12078&doc_action=whatsnew
Boston Trailer Park Thrives

http://archive.seacoastonline.com/2004news/04022004/south_of/8461.htm
Boston Redevelopment Authority

http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/zoning/downloadzone.asp
Modular
Economics
Economics • 150

Economics
Sources
Meetings with commercial and residential loan officers at Chelsea Groton Bank & One West Bank

Refabricating Architecture by Stephen Kieran & James Timberlake
Policy
Modular
Policy • 160

Policy
Sources
Policy Analysis
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa132.html
Prevailing Wage Laws and the Cost of Public Construction in Massachusetts

http://www.cpcs.umb.edu/lrc/documents/MAPREVAILINGWAGEfinalMay2010.pdf

Labor Unions
http://ftp.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/574/574.F2d.457.75-2770.75-2166.75-2064.html
Labor and Workforce Development

http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=elwdhomepage&L=1&L0=Home&sid=Elwd
Davis-Bacon Wage Determination

http://www.gpo.gov/davisbacon/referencemat.html
Policy • 164

Topic
Precedents
INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
In the pages ahead, you will find precedents
PRECEDENTS
collected in our research that hold qualities of
prefabrication that we would like to showcase.
These examples have been categorized
according to principles and methods we have
designed in order to best display their features
and components.
Precedents • 166
Modular
Precedent Ratings
Precedent Ratings • 168

Matrix
Matrix | Prefab Scale | Enchridion

Due to the complexity and duality of many of the
precedents uncovered in this book, a matrix,
scale and enchiridion were created in order to
group precedents into a research discussion. By
developing a series of organizational qualifiers,
precedents were filtered into three matrixes which
determined their stature.
Matrix Prefab Scale Enchridion

The x axis determines the building typology measures the degree of prefabrication, delivery, displays the multiplicity of prefabrication
based on residential on residential or industrial construction methods and time. processes involved in each precedent.
characteristics; y axis determines the ration of
on-site/off-site construction.
65 j ec
t
Prefab Score
on-site/off-site ratio
p ro
modular
(+)
panelized
kit of parts
use use precast
residential infrastructure prefab steel
degree of prefabrication
temporary
hud/mobile
(-)
grid
infill/parasite
permanent
temporary infrastructure
custom density
standard
page number
INTRODUCTION
Off-site
Prefabrication
Melrose II
Metastadt
Puma City
Citizen M
DETERMINANTS
Drop House Nomadic
Museum
Precast Concrete
Pierson Court Segmented Bridges
Loft House Nomiya
System 3 Kiem & Sill Honk Kong Bank
Stelco
Nakagin Tower
South Side
Metasdadt Studio East
Kim House
DEPLOYMENT
Elemental Urban Shelter
Use Box City Bailey Use
Residential Bridge Infrastructure
Moduli 225
Parcel 12 + 18 Hong Kong
Tower
Habitat 67
Baukasten
CONTEXT
Yacht House
2 x 4 Res. Elemental Permanent

Infill
Zollverein Temporary
PRECEDENTS
Keetwonen Asphalt
Road
Custom
Adobe Hut/ On-site
Igloo Construction Standard

Prefab Scoring System
Performance Criteria Type:

By defining the intertwined elements that Modular (with superstructure) or Panels (kit of parts)
constitute a prefab building in an urban How are the pieces are put together? (slide out, snap in place, bolted, welded, filled in, etc...)
environment, we have come up with a prefab How many pieces make up the project? How big is the biggest piece?
scale that measures the ‘prefabness’ of a project. How complete are the pieces when they arrive on-site?
25 points: 1 transportable piece with everything fitted, arrives on site complete
The scoring system’s only purpose is to be able to 0 points: 1,000 small or big pieces, requires welding and foundation, incomplete when on-site
match relatively smiliar buildings, and compare Delivery:
and contrast them to each other. It is by no means
Route in miles from factory to final site:
set in stone. However, to make our scoring
(highway, intercity road, truck size) (shipping, container, barge size) (air, airplane, helicopter) (train)
system fair, objective and relatively accurate, we
25 points: 0 miles traveled by air / 0 points: 50,000 miles traveled by largest truck size in intercity road
only used measurable facts and figures.
Urban Scale:
Each of the criteria we have set for a building How dense is the surrounding area? How many square feet is the project? How many floors?
measures its performance in that relative factor. 10 points: tight urban fabric, 1,000,000 SQF, 100 floors / 0 points: rural site, 0 SQF, 0 floors
The seven factors are: Type, Delivery, Urban Material:
Scale Material, Longevity, Manpower, and Time.
Precast steel or concrete, wood, plastic, poured-in-place concerete
Type, Delivery and Urban Scale are the most
10 points: precast concrete, plastic / 0 points: mud-hut
important elements that come to define the
performance of prefabricated buildings in a city, Longevity:
so they are each worth 20 points. Each of the rest Temporary or Permanent, On the grid or off the grid, replaceable pieces?
are worth 10 points. The points combine so that 10 points: permanent structure (1,000 years), off-the grid, all pieces replaceable
the most prefab building gets a 100 score and the 0 points: temporary (1 day), on the grid, no replaceable pieces
least prefab gets a 0 score. Manpower:
How many people did it take to construct on-site? Was a crane used?
In order to make the distinction between what 10 points: 1 person, no crane / 0 points: 1,000 people and 10 cranes
‘Type’ elements make a project get a high or low
Time:
score, we will explain the two extremes, just like
How long did it take to build on-site?
we did to explain the boundaries of our matrix.
10 points: 1 minute / 0 points: 100 years
Type Delivery Urban Scale Material Longevity Manpower Time 100

20 20 20 10 10 10 10
INTRODUCTION
Satirenrenne 67 System 3 85
Yacht House 67 CitizenM 83
Baukasten 66 Nakagin Capsule Tower 83
Spacebox 66 Pierson Court 82
65 81
DETERMINANTS
Bluff Homes Melrose II
Precast Bridge 65 Metastadt 81
Parasite Prefab 64 Sill and Kem 80
Parcel 12 and 18 64 Drop House 78
Pinchin St Studios 64 Kim House 78
Keetwoven 63 Urban Shelter Building 78
Park Row Terrace 63 The Nomadic Museum 77
DEPLOYMENT
Honk Kong Bank 61 Stelco Catalogue Housing 77
Habitat ‘67 58 Puma City 76
Elemental 49 Studio East Dining 76
Nomiya Restaurant 75
South Side Row Houses 75
74
CONTEXT
Rue De Meaux
Las Palmas 73
Rucksack House 73
Box City 71
Loft House 70
69
PRECEDENTS
Moduli 225
Rastipuisto 69
Moho Manchester 68

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Prefab Score 65 66 65 71 83 78 49 58 61 80 63 78 73 70 81 81 69 68 83
Modular
Panelized
Kit of Parts
Precast Concrete
Prefab Steel
Temporary
Hud / Mobile
Grid Environment
Infill / Parasite
Infrastructure
Density on Demand
77
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Precedents
Precedents • 176

Contents
System 3 | Oskar Leo Kaufmann 179
CitizenM | Concrete Architectural Associates | Amsterdam, Netherlands 183
Nakagin Capsule Tower | Kisho Kurokawa | Ginza, Japan 185
Pierson Court | Kieran & Timberlake | Yale University, CT, United States 189
Melrose II | Danois Architects | South Bronx, NY, United States 193
Metastadt-Bausystem | Richard J. Dietrich | Wulfen, Germany 195
Housing and Commercial Block | Sill and Keim | Rathenow, Germany 199
Drop House | D3 Architects 203
Kim House | Waro Kishi | Osaka, Japan 205
Urban Shelter Building | Santiago Cirugeda Parejo | Sevilla, Spain 207
The Nomadic Museum | Shingeru Ban | Nomad** 209
Stelco Catalogue Housing | Batron Myers Associates 211
Puma City | Lotek | Nomad** 213
Studio East Dining | Carmody Groarke | London, United Kingdom 217
Nomiya Restaurant | Pascal Grasso | Paris, France 219
South Side Row Houses | Affordability, Inc | Chicago, IL, United States 221
Rue De Meaux | Renzo Piano | Paris, France 223
Las Palmas | Kortknie Stuhlmacher Architecten | Rotterdam, Netherlands 225
Rucksack House | Stephan Eberstadt | Liepzeig, Germany 227
Box Office | Distill Studio | Providence, RI, United States 229
Loft House | Studio Aisslinger | Berlin, Germany 233
Moduli 225 | Kristian Gullichsen and Pallasmaa | Finland 235
Rastipuisto | Helamaa and Pulkkinen | Helsinki, Finland 237
MOHO | Shed KM, Joule | Manchester, United Kingdom 241
Saterinrinne | Brunow and Manula | Helsinki, Finland 243
Yacht House | Richard Horden | United Kingdom 245
Baukasten | Walter Gropius 247
Spacebox | Utrecht, Netherlands 249
Bluff Homes | Vetter Denk | Milwaukee, WI, United States 251
Precast Concrete Segmental Bridge 253
Parasite Prefab | Lara Calder 255
Parcel 12 & 18 Row Houses | MRVDV | Borneo-Sporenburg, Netherlands 257
Pinchin Street Studios | Urban Space Management | London, UK 259
Keetwonen | Tempohousing | Amsterdam, Netherlands 261
Park Row Terrace | Vetter Denk | Milwaukee, WI, United States 263
Hong Kong Bank Building | Norman Foster | Hong Kong, China 265
Habitat ’67 | Moshe Safdie | Toronoto, Canada 271
Elemental | Alejandro Aravena | Santiago, Chile 275
Sources 279

Precedents • 178

System3
Oskar Leo Kaufmann | 2008 | Multi-family residential/commercial
Prefab Score
85 Assembly Concept
(+)
Serving Space Naked Space
use use
residential infrastructure
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: High-quality, affordable modules

that consist of two identical rectangular forms
with completely different structural and functional
Building Elements
derivation.
Units of Prefabrication: The “serving” space

comes completely prefabricated to site. The
“naked” space consists of prefabricated planar
elements that form the space.
Structure: Wood structure. Flat floor and roof

plates allow for up to thirty units to stack together
to form a ten-story tower.
Delivery: All elements that make up a unit fit

perfectly in a standard cargo container; can be
shipped anywhere. All parts are prefabricated.

Precedents • 180

System3
Oskar Leo Kaufmann | 2008 | Multi-family residential/commercial
Alternative Uses
A single unit with typical provisions and site work
would cost about $130,000. As many as thirty
units could be arranged and stacked to create a
ten-story, 11,000 square-foot office tower.
Plan Office Plan Office Section Hotel Plan Hotel Section

INTRODUCTION
In the “serving” space all elements are fabricated External services and products:
out of stainless steel: lighting, kitchen, bath, I.E. installations, staircases, baths...
cooling, ventilation, electricity, internet, laundry,
dishwasher and vertical circulation all integrated
and produced in a single factory. The “naked”
space is also made up of planes that are Skin producer
DETERMINANTS
Planner
prefabricated. The material used is an unpainted
Solid elements
4 3/4 inches thick regional wood, with a skin that producer
is removable, changeable and washable.
Serving units
producer
Window producer
DEPLOYMENT
Building
site
Basic Unit Assembly
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Large Scale Stacked Assemblies
Precedents • 182
Citizen M
Concrete Architectural Associates | Amesterdam, Netherlands | 2008 | Hotel
Prefab Score
83
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom Entrance to Lobby Pod (Hotel Room)
standard
Methodology: Using pre-fabrication to eliminate

hidden costs and cut unnecessary items; giving a
luxury feel for a budget price.
Units of Prefabrication: 215 units arrived to the

site, each containing a simple bathroom and bed,
under 50 square feet. The units were pre-
fabricated locally.
Structure: Steel frame housed the pods which are

made of a black metal box with large glass panels
angeled and set back in them to break up the
rigid facade.
Fenestration Bath and Bed
Delivery: Units were prefabricated in a nearby

factory owned by CitizenM and fit perfectly on a
flat bed truck.

Precedents • 184

Kisho Kurokawa | Tokyo, Japan | 1972 | Hotel
Prefab Score
83
(+)
use use
Capsule Steel Structure Capsule Bolting
Container factory Tokyo ring-road height

(-)
in Tsuruga clearance 11 ft
permanent 400 km (250 mi) 50 km (30 mi)
temporary
custom Site
standard
Methodology: Japanese Metabolism, physical

objects are never eternal, celebrates
individualism, response to long commutes.
Units of Prefabrication: Capsules arrive from

factory completely prefabricated, ready to be
lifted by crane and bolted onto the superstructure.
Structure: Steel frame with light-weight concrete

shaft which houses vertical circulation,
mechanical shafts.
Delivery: Dense urban surroundings meant that

capsules were delivered from factory to site on
the same day it was attached to the
superstructure.

Precedents • 186

Kisho Kurokawa | Tokyo, Japan | 1972 | Hotel
The capsules contained a built-in bed and drop-in

bathroom unit. They were outfitted off site and
hoisted into place by crane, latching onto the
fourteen-story superstructure and its concrete
shaft of vertical circulation. All capsules were
driven in by truck the same day they were to be
“plugged-in”. A stop-over happened on the
outskirts of Tokyo where the capsules got
transfered to smaller trucks.
Although the building was designed for maximum

Construction, 1971
flexibility, the clip-on capsule was decidedly
compact, leaving very little room for
customization. Originally designed as living
spaces for bachelors during the week, it has
functioned as a hotel, apartment building, office
tower and artists’ studio.
Isometric Plan
of Capsule
INTRODUCTION
The precast concrete floor slabs that were part of
the core’s structure were erected at a rate of one
every two days, alternating with the construction
of the steel frame, affording a full operational core
to facilitate the periodic construction of the
framework without an external scaffold. 144
DETERMINANTS
capsules were attached to the building in less
than a month. Interestingly, the podium, which is
the most under-looked part of the project, had
more traditional construction techniques and also
responsible for much of the on-site construction
time.
DEPLOYMENT
attaching capsules to structure
Modern Alternative pre-fabrication of capsules
core structure and mechanical system
on-site construction
pre-fabrication of steel frame and re-enforced concrete floor slabs
design process
CONTEXT
1968 1969 1970 1971 1972
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 188
Pierson Court
Kieran Timberlake | New Haven, CT | 2006 | Dormitory
Prefab Score
82
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: Using a crane to make construction

possible in this courtyard site, this project was
completed on site in 4 days over the university’s
spring break.
Units of Prefabrication: Modular units arrive on

site completely sealed and inspected
Structure: Steel frame modular units are stacked

Pierson Court would not be possible without the
and bolted together.
power of the crane. The project is made up of 34
modules placed in a courtyard. The entire on site
Delivery: The modules travel via truck from the
construction process took 4 days with 12 workers.
New Jersey factory to the site less than 150 miles
away. A crane takes modular units off the trucks
Layers of a module This efficiency of labor and time in an otherwise
impossible situation is an excellent example of
and into the courtyard site.
how prefabricated constructon techniques are
valuable processes for architects to understand.
Modular structure

Precedents • 190

Pierson Court
Kieran Timberlake | New Haven, CT | 2006 | Dormitory
Prefab Score
83
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
INTRODUCTION
The diagram to the left shows securing the
modules to each other on site. The light gray
portion indicate horizontal brick layers layed on
site. The dark gray indicates the datum line
which was a layer of bricks left out to show its
modular structure. The pink bricks were insterted
DETERMINANTS
to vertically lock the modules together and are
also pronounced to show structural honesty of
the building’s modular unit construction.
One can also see the modularity of the structure

in plans, as seen on the right.
DEPLOYMENT
Modular Construction
This construction method is clearly documented
through photographs. The modular arrives on
CONTEXT
site on a truck. A crane lifts the module onto the
site. A construction worker guides the module
into the proper spot. The images of the process
show how stacking the modules act as a way
increasing efficiency in both time and cost.
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 192
Melrose II
Danois Architects | South Bronx New York, NY | 2002 | Low-income Housing
Prefab Score
81
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Street Perspective
Methodology: Construction time was minimized
with large precast concrete modules and precast
structural frame.
Units of Prefabrication: Structural wall panels,

hollow-core floor planks, curtain wall facade
panels, large entrance lobby module, precast
concrete cornice, and concrete entrance stairs.
Delivery: All precast modules were transported

on flatbed and assembled on site with a crane
and six workers.
Building Sequence Joint Detail

INTRODUCTION
Two precast factories in New York and
Massachusetts produced a precast wall panel
system that imitates brick and window lintels.
This minimized the amount of work on site to
simple assembly.
DETERMINANTS
Melrose II was able to significantly reduce
construction costs with precast concrete building
methods. Assemblers can construct the entire
building from six factory made modules. As
illustrated in the building sequence axonomoetric,
Cornice Module
the structural frame and floor planks are
assembled first, then the precast window facade
panels are hung from the structure. After, a three-
DEPLOYMENT
Lot Plan
story entrance bay module is attached, along with
the precast concrete stairs and projecting
cornice.
The structural joint is a concrete haunch system

with reinforcing bar and concrete topping to
connect load bearing walls with hollow-core floor
planks.
CONTEXT
Facade Module
Delivery Route
PRECEDENTS
Factory Assembly
Precedents • 194
Metastadt-Bausystem
Richard J. Dietrich | Wulfen, Germany | 1972 | Multi-family residential/commercial
Prefab Score
81
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: Using a light-weight steel

infrastructure to act as a base for the users to fill Model
in with city functions.
Units of Prefabrication: Infrastructure comes to

the site in component pieces that are put
together. Are filled in with modular units.
Structure: Steel structure, panels can be any

material.
Delivery: Reduces construction time on-site, can

re-densify city cores and act as infrastructure.

Precedents • 196

Metastadt-Bausystem
Richard J. Dietrich | Wulfen, Germany | 1972 | Multi-family residential/commercial
The execution of the structural details meant that
the building and ground floor plan could be
altered or enlarged at any time, or be
dismanteled.
Construction South Ariel View
Typical Facade Infrastructure Model

INTRODUCTION
The structural system that was developed uses
an orthogonal steel framework with flex-resistant
joints. The space-defining elements and technical
infrastructure were inserted into the frame,
suspended from steel pylons. The small
dimensions of the structural could be precisely
DETERMINANTS
adapted to specific spatial needs. The absence of
diagonal bracing created the maximum of space
and permitted the greatest possible flexibility.
DEPLOYMENT
Construction Concept
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Entrance
Joint Detail Perspective
Precedents • 198
Housing + Commercial Block
Keim + Sill | Rathenow, Germany | 1997 | Housing + Commercial
Prefab Score
80
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: Preassembled units were

constructed with all mechanical systems and Building Section
finishes in place and ready to be plugged into
existing system
Units of Prefabrication: Twelve 3.5m x 2.3m

container units
Structure: 4” concrete column and beam frame

for units to plug into.
Delivery: Units were shipped in one day on

standard flatbed trucks. Units were craned into
the structural frame on the second day.
Typical Unit Plan

Precedents • 200

Housing + Commercial Block
Keim + Sill | Rathenow, Germany | 1997 | Housing + Commercial
Prefab Score
65
This project is a renovation of an old 19th century
building into a mixed-use program. The existing
front half of the building was rehabilitated as
residential. The back half of the building received
an addition of twelve prefab containers forming
an engineering firm studio.
The total addition to the rear facade is 900

square meters. Materials include reinforced
concrete, corrugated aluminum panels/sheeting,
steel frame, stainless steel hardware, glass,
and insulated wall and roof panels.
The prefab containers are assembled with

sanitary, under-floor heating system, electrical,
plumbing, and communication services. The
process of assembly involve preparing the
existing building to receive the structures and to
allow for services to be plugged in. The
structural columns are then put in place and
beams are added to support the container units.
Finally, containers are “plugged into” the structure
and service systems. Some containers are
connected through the use of a coupling piece
while others are divided by partitions

Precedents • 202

Drop House
D3 Architects | 2010 | Single-family residential
Prefab Score Perpsective Diagram
78 Child’s Bedroom
Extruded Bathroom
Extruded Kitchen
Parent’s Bedroom
Partly Extruded
(+)
Open Terrace
North Facade, Operable Panels

use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom Extruded Entrance
standard
Exterior Terrace
Methodology: Cargo containers are efficient, but South Oriented
South-East Facing Bris-Soleil
people feel uncomfortable in metal boxes, so this
Retractable in Winter
is a wood house that fits in a container.
Units of Prefabrication: Arrives to site completely

fitted in factory, all equipments pre-installed.
Dropped onto site, folds out. Plan
Structure: Wood and glass ‘box’ that fits perfectly

in a standard cargo container.
Delivery: Eliminates on-site construction, can

easily be shipped anywhere in the world by truck
or barge.
Section

Precedents • 204

Kim House
Waro Kishi | Osaka, Japan | 1987 | Single-family residential
Prefab Score
78
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology:Using off-the-shelf materials to

create a modern house based on japanese
typology, in a constrained site (8.5 feet wide, 18
feet deep) Interior Perspective Construction Detail
Units of Prefabrication: All the materials used to

construct the house were off-the-shelf and ready
for use.
typical row house condition

Structure: Four wide-flange prefabricated steel
frames erected in equal intervals along the depth 18’ deep
of the plot
Delivery: Standard building materials, can be

replicated anywhere. Requires transportation to 8.5’ wide
site and on-site construction.
Plan Diagram Section Diagram

Precedents • 206

Urban Shelter Building
Santiago Cirugeda Parejo | Sevilla, Spain | 1998 | Scaffolding + Housing
Prefab Score
78
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: Prefabricated, inhabitable

scaffolding that creates a temporary space open
to the public.
Units of Prefabrication: Precut steel and PVC

sheets
Structure: Galvanized Steel beams and collars

with flexible PVC foam covering
Delivery: Parts arrive on site and steel members

are assembled by welders. Elevated storage
space and various screws required for assembly.

Precedents • 208

The Nomadic Museum
Shingeru Ban | All Over the World | 2005 | Museum
Prefab Score
77
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: The shipping containers are

stacked without modification in order to save on
construction time.
Units of Prefabrication: 148 shipping containers New York Beijing

Santa Monica Tokyo
(2005)
(2006) Abu Dhabi (2007)
Structure: The stacking of the steel shipping
containers creates a self-supporting grid.
Delivery: The nomadic museum travels by cargo

ship to each location, then uses a crane to place
the shipping containers into place.
INTRODUCTION
The nomadic museum is a travelling gallery that
started in New York in 2005. The contents of the
gallery are assemebled/disassembled, then
shipped in the actual shipping containers that
make up the museum itself. Waterproof paper
tubing is used for the columns and the roof
DETERMINANTS
trusses to cover the museum. There is flexibility
in the stacking of the shipping containers to
conform to each site. For example, the site in
Santa Monica was shorter than that of New York,
so the gallery was split into two 100m length
buildings, rather than the original 200m length.
The innovation behind the nomadic museum is
that museum can be placed anywhere a cargo
DEPLOYMENT
ship can pull up.
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 210
Stelco Catalogue Housing
Barton Myers Associates | 1969 | Steel housing prototype
Prefab Score Axonometric View of Cluster
77
(+)
use use
Unit Components
(-)
permanent
temporary Exterior Panels
custom
standard
Methodology: Using a structure of steel columns, Opening Fixed Fixed Fixed Fixed
modules based on a 3-foot-sqaure dimension Ceiling
Connectors
could be filled in. Interior Panels Floor
Units of Prefabrication: Steel column sections, Fascia

Opening Fixed
sandwich panels of prefinished steel and
catalogue ordered parts. Framing Members Joist
Column
Edge beam
Structure: Steel column sections, hollow tube
beams, and a number of different sandwich
panels with a urethane core for horizontal and
vertical surfaces.
Delivery: Catalogue ordered parts could be

assembeled by two unskilled persons in just an
hour per square frame.
1 2 3

Precedents • 212

Puma City
Lot-ek | All Over the World | 2008 | Retail
Prefab Score Puma City is a nomadic structure, travelling all
76 over the world. The process begins when the
cargo ship reaches the location. A crane is used
to put the shipping containers onto trucks, and
once at the site another crane is used to
assemble the building. This process is done
(+)
backwards for the disassembly.
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: The store is assembled, then

disassembled to travel all around the globe.
Units of Prefabrication: 24 shipping containers
Delivery: The nomadic structure travels by cargo

ship to each port. From there, the shipping
containers are brought to the site by truck and
then put into place by crane.

Precedents • 214

Puma City
Lot-ek | All Over the World | 2008 | Retail
In order to travel from each destination, the
openings of the shipping containers must be filled
in. Without these pieces, the shipping container’s
structure becomes compromised, and it would be
impossible to put them on a cargo ship for
extended periods of time. There are wall cover
panels, floor cover panels, and roof cover panels
that travel with Puma City.
Panel System
INTRODUCTION
The concept behind Puma City is a pulling apart
and shifting of shipping containers to create
indoor/outdoor spaces, and outdoor spaces.
These cantilevers become roof decks for people
to use.
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 216
Studio East Dining
Carmody Groarke | 2010 | London, England | Temporary Pavilion / Restaurant
Prefab Score
76
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: Use borrowed construction

materials of live construction site on location to
construct temporary pavillion
Units of Prefabrication: borrowed kit-of-parts that

were then recycled for no waste
Structure: Scaffolding boards, poles and

industrial grade heat retractable polyethylene rof
membrane
Delivery: No delivery necessary since all

materials remained on-site.

Precedents • 218

Nomiya Restaurant
Pascal Grasso | 2009 | Paris, France | Temporary Pavillion / Restaurant
Prefab Score
75
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: Module created for simple

construction and take-down.
Units of Prefabrication: Glass cabin with

perforated metal screen 18 m long, 4m wide,
3.5m high and 22 tonnes
Structure: Metal and glass box
Delivery: Transported in special trunks in two

parts. Constructed at Cherbourg boatyard in
northern France then assembled on the roof of Le
Palais de Tokyo.

Precedents • 220

South Side Row Houses
Piekarz | Chicago, IL USA | 1998 | Low-income Housing
Prefab Score
75
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: Precast concrete wall panels are

assembled via crane onto a pre-prepared
foundation
Units of Prefabrication: Insulated precast

concrete wall panels, Hollow-core floor planks,
Precast concrete wall panels.
Delivery: Panels were transported in flatbed truck

INTRODUCTION
This project used a precast concrete foundation
and structural wall panels to minimize
construction time and reduce cost for affordable
housing.
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 222
Rue de Meaux
Renzo Piano | Paris, France | 1988 | Multi-family Housing
Prefab Score
74
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: A panelized system of precast

concrete and terra-cotta rainscreen is attached to
traditional steel frame construcion.
Units of Prefabrication: GFRC - glass fiber

reinforced concrete panels. Terra-cotta
rainscreen cladding.
Delivery: Panels were transported on flatbed and

assembled on site with a crane.
Ground Floor Plan

INTRODUCTION
This project implemented precast concrete
foundation and structural wall panels to minimize
construction time and reduce cost for affordable
housing.
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Section through courtyard
Precedents • 224
Las Palmas Parasite
Kortknie Stuhnmacher Architecten | Rotterdam, Netherlands | 2001 | Housing
Prefab Score
73
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: A parasite style prefabricated

structure that is compact in nature and relies on
its host building for support
Units of Prefabrication: Component construction

using a panel system. All building services were
connected to that of the existing building.
Structure: Constructed from load bearing

insulated panels and relies on th elevator shaft of
an existing building for support
Delivery: Parasite was assembled in 4 days

despite the exceptionally difficult and windy
location.

Precedents • 226

Rucksack House
Stefan Eberstadt | 2004 | Leipzen, Koln, & Essen, Germany | Housing
Prefab Score
73
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: Prefabricated house extension that

can be dismanteled and reassembled.
Units of Prefabrication: 9 sq. meter transportable

dwelling component
Structure: Suspended from steel cables anchored

to the roof or facade of existing building. Module
is a weded steel structure with veneer plywood
interior cladding
Delivery: Located in place on facade by a crane

Precedents • 228

Box Office
Distill Studio | Providence, RI | 2010 | Offices
Prefab Score
71
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: The shipping containers are

worked on at an off-site location while the on-site
work is being done. This saved time and money.
Units of Prefabrication: 34 1/3 shipping

containers
Structure: Steel shipping containers
Delivery: The shipping containers are brought to

the site by truck, then stacked through the use of
a crane.
INTRODUCTION
The Box Office is an office building containing 12
individual units. Each unit is accessed individually
outside. The building is three floors and is
Off-site
On-site
connected through the use of sky bridges. The
shipping containers used for this project
presented opportunities for interesting and
DETERMINANTS
innovative design solutions throughout.
The construction schedule allows for work to be

done on-site and off-site at the same time, which
saves time and money. The 6 weeks of iron work
after only 4 days of stacking the containers is the Holes for Columns
Excavation
most costly and intensive part of the process. Install Doors/Windows
DEPLOYMENT
2-3 Months
Stacking
CONTEXT
4 Days
Iron Work
Remove Walls
6 Weeks
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 230
Box Office
Distill Studio | Providence, RI | 2010 | Offices
The use of shipping containers created several
issues that required creative solutions. For
example, each unit is mechanically independent
from one another. There are 12 units total, and
each unit has a condensor outside. This modular
HVAC system made installing the systems much
easier, and far less complicated.
Another design solution occured when the two

shipping containers are stacked on top of each
other. They only touch at the corners, creating an
open intersitial space between them. The solution
achieved here was to use spray foam insulation to
fill the interstitial space.
Condensor outside of unit
Interstitial space diagram

INTRODUCTION
The walls of a shipping container act as a beam,
and once they are removed the container loses
integrity. In order to allow for the removal of walls
to create an open floor plan, a column grid was
put in place. The columns were placed where the
walls were removed, and spaced 1/3 of the
DETERMINANTS
distance apart.
DEPLOYMENT
Shipping container structure diagram
CONTEXT
Column grid layout digrams
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 232
Loft House
Studio Aisslinger | 2009 | Berlin, Germany | Housing
Prefab Score
70
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: Customizable living unit meant for

rooftop construction on various post-war flat roofs
throughout Berlin
Units of Prefabrication: Interior Modular structure

for customized partitions, fixed and sliding
panels. Overall size: 40 sq. meters; 2.5 m high
Structure: Galvanized steel and timber frame

construction
Delivery: Kit-of-parts stored within two standard

40 foot cube containers. Weight calculated to
allow for freight helicopter or construction crane
handling

Precedents • 234

Moduli 225
Kristian Gullichsen and Pallasmaa | Finland | 1971 | Single-family residential
Prefab Score
69
on-site/off-site ratio 18
(+)
use use
(-)
15
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: A single module that can be added

to, arranged in any combination, as family grows.
5
Units of Prefabrication: Single modules arrive
ready to be attached to the space frame. All
Detail of joint assembly
materials used for the house (except for wooden
posts) prefabricated.
4
Structure: No foundation required, modules
supported by wooden posts and stout metal
pylons, hovering slightly above the ground.
3
Delivery: No foundation required, assembly could
take as little as two days. All materials available
within 200 miles.
Module configurations
1

Precedents • 236

Rastipuisto Apartment Block
Helamaa and Pulkkinen Architects| Helsinki, Finland | 2009 | Multi-family Housing
Prefab Score
69
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology:
Units of Prefabrication: Precast concrete panels,

precast hollow-core planks, modular window
system.
Delivery: Flatbed truck for transportation of panel

system. Cran to assemble the structure on site.
INTRODUCTION
The main block is divided into discrete vertical
segments, with each segment separated by a
staircase or the gable walls. Within each
segment, dwellings can be varied for room layout,
amenity space and location of widows along the
external elevation. Thus window locations along a
DETERMINANTS
precast panel that encloses two different
apartments need not be on fixed positions, nor do
they have to run in vertical alignment between
floors. The storey-high precast panels stretch the
full width of these vertical segments and this
makes some precast units as long as 8m and
keeps the number of units to a minimum, thereby
reducing construction cost. Where the front
DEPLOYMENT
elevation is punctuated by the staircases they are
detailed a little differently from
the repeating rhythm of the precast panels that
enclose the apartment zones.
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 238
Rastipuisto Apartment Block
Helamaa and Pulkkinen Architects| Helsinki, Finland | 2009 | Multi-family Housing
The standard design of the windows are of
composite aluminium and hardwood construction.
The exterior frame is a durable aluminium with a
powder-coated finish while the interior ‘warm
frame’ is a hardwood.
The building frame comprises perimeter load-

bearing precast sandwich panels, internal precast
wall panels that divide the apartments, solid
180mm and 200mm thick precast wall units that
enclose the staircase and lift core and provide
lateral stability. There are no columns. The floors
are hollow core prestressed floor planks that
span from the front to the back of the building.
The building is supported on piled foundations
with interconnecting ground beams to support the
loadbearing wall panels. The staircases are all
precast with a terrazzo surface finish.

Precedents • 240

MOHO
ShedKM | Manchester, MA | 2006 | Urban Housing
Prefab Score
68
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: Fully-fitted prefabricated units were

stacked onto pre-prepared structural steel cores.
Units of Prefabrication: Prefabricated room

modules. Steel sub-structure to receive modules.
Delivery: Modules were transported on flatbed

and assembled by a crane at a rate of six units
per day.
INTRODUCTION
The construction was based in stacking
prefabricated units onto a pre-prepared structural
steel core. It was erected at a rate of six modules
per day and minimal assembly crew. The modular
units allow the construction process to be greatly
simplified, reducing the construction schedule
DETERMINANTS
and work crew to provide affordable housing.
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 242
Saterininne Housing Development
Brunow and Manula Architects | Helsinki, Finland | 2009 | Multi-family Housing
Prefab Score
67
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: Maximize the size of prefabricated

panels to expedite on site construction.
Units of Prefabrication: Precast structural

concrete panels, Precast concrete sandwich
panels, and a modular window system.
Delivery: Precast concrete parts were delivered

on flatbed and assembled via crane and
assembly crew.
INTRODUCTION
The sandwich panels totalled 1,650 pieces, each
one 5.1 sq. meters in area. The panels were
finished as normal grey concrete and painted on
site by the main contractor. At the factory, steel
casting beds were used to fabricate the 5 ton
panels. An integrated shock-compactor was used
DETERMINANTS
to increase the strength of the sandwich panels.
The factory then holds the de-molded pieces for
two weeks unitl it is inspected and approved for
delivery.
Each of these sandwich panels is assembled in

an interlocking pattern to increase panel size and
facilitate assembly.
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 244
Yacht House
Richard Horden | United Kingdom | 1983 | Single-family residential
Prefab Score
67
(+)
use use
(-)
Plan
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: Applied “Technology transer” used

in yacht mast designs to residential construction,
combining technology and housing.
Assembly Process
Units of Prefabrication: Steel tensions members
and the interior wall modules.
Structure: Concrete footings on short ends held

structural lattice taut and level while aluminum
compression and steel tension members held
space frame.
Delivery: Uses pre-existing alloy space-frame

grid on site, house was built by the family in two
weeks using simple tools.
Assembly Detail

Precedents • 246

Baukasten
Walter Gropius | 1923 | Multi-family residential
Prefab Score Building Blocks 12
66
6
4
(+)
123
use use
3
(-)
permanent
2
temporary
1 123
custom
standard
Methodology: “an oversized set of toy building

blocks out of which different types of machines
5
Possible Combinations
for living can be assembled”
Units of Prefabrication: Standard, industrially

produced elements that function as a variable kit
of parts, interlocking to form a near infinite array
of configurations.
Structure: Concrete panels or steel frame, either

would be prefabricated in a factory.
125
Delivery: Concrete panels made in factory, could 12356 12345
be shipped anywhere, would require on-site
construction. Project was never realized.

Precedents • 248

Spacebox
ShedKM | Utrecht, Netherlands | 2004 | Studio Housing
Prefab Score
66
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: Fully-fitted and prefabricated studio

units are stacked on eachother - eliminating
on-site construction.
Units of Prefabrication: Structural studio pods

that can be stacked and serviced by a minimal
circulation armiture.
Delivery: The factory prepares each pod fully

fitted and is trasported to the site on truck and
hoisted into place via crane.
INTRODUCTION
Instant, self-contained studio residences.
All you need is a crane to stack them up to three
units high. The Spacebox is equipped to function
as a compact studio residence, complete with
kitchen, shower and toilet with a surface area of
18M or 22M. There’s a large window on one end
DETERMINANTS
and the entryway on the other. The units are
equipped with a boiler, mechanical ventilation and
electrical heating. Spacebox units are made of
the same high-grade light weight composites that
are used in shipbuilding and aircraft
manufacturing.
Source: http://mocoloco.com/archives/000821.
DEPLOYMENT
php
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 250
Bluff Homes
Vetter Denk | Milwaukee, WI USA | 2009 | Single Family Townhomes
Prefab Score
65
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology:
Units of Prefabrication: Precast concrete panels,

precast hollow-core planks, modular window
system.
Delivery: Flatbed truck for transportation of panel

system. Cran to assemble the structure on site.
INTRODUCTION
Bluff Homes is a single family townhomes project
in Milwaukee. Each home was made of precast
concrete panels and hollowcore planks.
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 252
Precast Concrete Segmental Bridge
Prefab Score
65
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: Width of segments is determined

by the maximum allowed by road regulations. The
width of the road, also the length of the unit, is
determined by the maximum truck capacity and
desired amount of lanes.
Units of Prefabrication: Segments arrive ready to

install on-site and are joined together with rebar
ties and cementious grout.
Structure: Precast concrete composed of cement,

steel rebar
Delivery: Moved from precast fabricator to

construction site by a double drop deck truck
trailer, then lifted by a gantry crane into position
above the substructure

Precedents • 254

Parasite Prefab
Lara Calder Architects | 2009 | Housing
Prefab Score
64
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: A prefabricated parasite system

that attaches to empty facades, rock faces and
bridges to make use of unaddressed sites.
Units of Prefabrication: A panelized system that

was designed through the use of a parametric 3D
modeling system.
Structure: A back plate is bolted to the existing

host surface and floors and wall panels rely on
the strength of the plate.
Delivery: Unbuilt concept

Precedents • 256

Parcel 12 & 18
MVRDV | Borneo-Sporenburg, Netherlands | 1988 | Urban Housing
Prefab Score
64
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: Precast concrete row houses were

assembled with precast concrete structural
frames and finished on site.
Units of Prefabrication: Precast concrete

insulated sandwich panels.
Delivery: All modules were transported on flatbed

and assembled on site with a crane.
INTRODUCTION
Borneo Sporenburg masterplan was a residential
brief of 2500 dwellings, set those two peninsulas
as one planning area, dictating a high density of
housing. In numbers the project, according the
C.A.B.E, is described as:
• Average density: 100 dwellings per hectare (the
DETERMINANTS
600 dwellings in the three large housing blocks
bring up the average density)
Source: http://urbantheorywest8amsterdam.
blogspot.com/
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 258
Pinchin Street Studios
Urban Space Management, Ltd | London, UK | 2007 | Container Housing
Prefab Score
64
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: Pre-assembled shipping containers

were stacked to construct the housing
development
Units of Prefabrication: Shipping container house

modules.
Delivery: Containers were transported on flatbed

and stacked on site with a crane. An assembly
crew then bolted/welded the containers into
place.
INTRODUCTION
Created out of 35 prefabricated containers this
innovative development includes doctors surgery
space with office space on the next three floors
as well as a roof-top garden.
Source: http://londonwall.blogspot.com/2009/11/
DETERMINANTS
pinchin-street-studios-by-urban-space.html
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 260
Keetwonen
Tempohousing | Amsterdam, The Netherlands | 2006 | Housing
Prefab Score
63
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: The units are brought to the site

with walls and windows already in place, then are
stacked to create the 12 housing complexes.
Units of Prefabrication: 1,000 shipping containers
Structure: Steel shipping containers
Delivery: The shipping containers are brought to

the site by truck, then stacked through the use of
a crane.
INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
Typical Units
Keetwonen is the largest shipping container city
1 Shipping Container
in the world, consisting of 1,000 shipping
2 Shipping Containers
containers. This housing is primarily for students,
CONTEXT
and each unit contains their own bedroom, living
room, bathroom, kitchen, and balcony. The
Keetwonen complex also contains office space,
super markets, a sports area and a cafe for the
students. Each unit is brought to the site and
stacked through the use of a crane. Originally the
project was meant to only stay on site for 5 years,
PRECEDENTS
but the relocation has been postponed until 2016.
The units can be easily moved to a different
location to create the massive container city
through the use of cranes and trucks for
transport.
Precedents • 262
Park Row Terrace Houses
Vetter Denk | Milwaukee, WI USA | 2005 | Multi-family Row Houses
Prefab Score
63
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: Implement a precast concrete

structure to reduce cost and construction
assembly.
Units of Prefabrication: Precast concrete wall

panels, Hollow-core floor planks, and structural
load-bearing wall panels.
Delivery: Prefab panelized system is easily

transported on flatbed to the building site.
INTRODUCTION
Park Terrace Row Houses are a unique project in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They are apart of an
urban redevelopment trend along the riverfront in
a post industrial neighborhood. The row houses
were designed as two family units, one duplex
and one single floor occupancy.
DETERMINANTS
Precast Concrete Panels and Hollowcore Planks
were the main units of prefabrication. The
concrete panels were designed to not only act as
sheer walls in this project but act as the fire walls
between each unit.
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 264
Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank
Norman Foster & Associates | Hong Kong, China | 2007 | Skyscraper
Prefab Score
61
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: Reduce on site construction time

with prefabricated building assembly methods
Units of Prefabrication: Bathroom modules.

Mechanical modules. Steel superstructure. Glass
curtain wall system.
Delivery: International delivery via barge and

transported by flatbed from harbor to site.
INTRODUCTION
The Hong Kong Bank implemented an unprece-
dented prefabrication process that responded to
urban site restrictions and a premise to minimize
construction time. The structure was assembled
from six steel modules fabricated in London and
shipped by sea. Bathroom and mechanical mod-
DETERMINANTS
ules were fabricated in Japan and stacked and
attached to the superstructure. This allowed for
on-site construction to progress quickly and
increase turn-over time. However, the complexity
of the design and coordination process between
multiple practitioners invariably delayed the con-
struction process despite its proposed design.
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 266
The steel superstructure was fabricated in
London, England and shipped innternation-
ally by sea. This pieces arrived as six mod-
ules that were assembled by crane into four
sets of “mast” super-columns. These were
then fitted with truss hangers that suspend
the floor components.
Bathroom modules were fabricated in Japan

as “skinless.” They were then shipped over-
seas and assembed via cranes ontop of the
mast towers. These modules were then
attached to the truss superstructure and fit-
ted with metal cladding.
The structural glass curtain wall was fabri-

cated in the United States and assembled
on site. It consisted of a kit of parts of struc-
tural, non-structural, and solar shading
components.
INTRODUCTION
The prefabricated elements of the project
inlude the steel superstructure composed of
mast columns, truss hangers, and suspen-
sion columns. Modular bathroom and
mechanical units are stacked and attached
to the superstructure. The floor components
DETERMINANTS
are completed after the truss hangers have
been put in place.
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 268
The structural innovation of Hong Kong
Bank has allowed the plan to benefit from an
externally loaded core that services an inte-
rior column-free space. The open floor plan
is also divided by movable partitions that
can re-configure the spatial organization of
the plan for future use capacity. This adapt-
able re-use concept has also been imple-
mented in section where double height
stories create spaces for sustainable social
interaction and circulatiory functions that
are separate yet complimentary to the office
floors.
INTRODUCTION
The steel supertructure was coposed of two
modules for the column masts and four
modules for the truss system. These pieces
were assembled by crane; a structural pin
system fastened the pieces together. The
benefits of the superstructure are evident in
DETERMINANTS
its ability to provide 33.5 meter spans
between columns. This allows a greater
flexibility of floor space that is unprece-
dented in contemporary construction.
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 270
Habitat ‘67
Moshe Safdie | Montreal, Canada | 1967 | Multi-family residential
Prefab Score
58
Precast Concrete Roof

(+)
use use
Fenestration
(-)
permanent
temporary 2 X 4 Interior Wall Assembly
custom
standard
Methodology: Interlocking modules that are

structurally interwieved. Focus is on the indiviual
unit rather than the global structure.
Floor Assembly
Units of Prefabrication: With the exception of
bathroom cores and millwork, all the residential
units were pre-fabricated on-site and lifted into
place by crane. “B”
Structure: Concrete structure, bolted together Precast Concrete Exterior Shell

and post-tensioned.
Delivery: Modules were built on-site which

eliminates the travel factor that a lot of pre-
Unit Deck
fabricated units have.
Exploded Axon

Precedents • 272

Habitat ‘67
Moshe Safdie | Montreal, Canada | 1967 | Multi-family residential
Module Interlocking Diagram

Typically, three modules formed a single unit.
Both indiviual modules and units torque and
cascade around each other which creates an
infinite number of orientations to both the
structure itself, and the city. Each modular unit is
clearly legible as a singular unit, but understood
as an absolutely irreplaceable part of a greater
whole.
Typical Module Combination

Plans and Elevations
Construction Photo
INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
DEPLOYMENT
Section
CONTEXT
Bridging Units and Terraces
View from across the Saint Lawrence River
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 274
Elemental
Alejandro Aravena | Santiago, Chile | 2001 | Low-income Housing
Prefab Score
49
(+)
use use
(-)
permanent
temporary
custom
standard
Methodology: Elemental utilizes a precast and

sitecast concrete to reduce overall construction
time and cost.
Units of Prefabrication: Six precast concrete

components and hollow-core floor planks.
Structure: The primary structure is precast

concrete and has a seconday structure made
from site-cast concrete block.
Delivery: Precast panels were transported via

flatbed truck. Cranes were used to hoist these Plans 1, 2, 3 & Elevation
panels from the truck as workers guided each
panel into place. Exploded Axonometric
INTRODUCTION
Elemental was started as a prototype model for
the development of quality low-income housing
for the future. Through the use of precast
concrete building methods, the construction
process can be minimized to one day. The
system utilizes precast concrete floor slabs and a
DETERMINANTS
structural frame that arrives on flatbed. A crane
and assembly crew construct the prefab frame.
The structure is then completed with site-cast
concrete block for the facade. The design allows
for residents to expand their homes as necessary
into each interstitial unit space.
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 276
Elemental
Alejandro Aravena | Santiago, Chile | 2001 | Low-income Housing
The project goal for Elemental was to replace
existing slum dwellings in Santiago, Chile. The
design vision considered the needs of the
displaced families by focusing on an expedited
building delivery system. The answer was to use
a durable prefabricated concrete frame that could
be assembled within hours. The building structure
is completed with site-cast concrete block that
adds an aesthetic appeal to the facade.
Crane type
Transport of Precast Concrete Panels Crane Assembly Plan Kit of Precast Parts
INTRODUCTION
DETERMINANTS
Area for expansion
Prefabricated unit
hvv
DEPLOYMENT
CONTEXT
PRECEDENTS
Precedents • 278
Precedents
Sources
System3
1. Bergdoll, Barry and Peter Christensen. Home Delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 2008.
Citizen M
1. Powers, Richard. Contemporist. 2010. http://www.contemporist.com/2010/09/15/citizenm-glasgow-hotel-by-concrete-architectural-associates/
2. Harbison, William. “Analysis of Nakagin Capsule Tower.” 2009. wharbison.blogspot.com/2009/12-analysis-of-nakagin-capsule-tower-5th.html
3. Kurokawa, Kisho. “Metabolism in Architecture.” Westview Press, Boulder, Co. 1977.
Pierson Court
1. Architectural Record. 2010. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/bts/archives/renovations/

05_piersonCollege/photos.asp
2. Chen, Aric. Teaching Tools. Metropolis Magazine, July 25, 2007. http://www.metropolismag.com/story/20070725/teaching-tools
3. Warren, Jerry A. Capital Projects Handbook. Yale University. 2005. http://www.facilities.yale.edu/publications/

CapitalProjectsHandbook.pdf
4. Modular Building Institute. 2006. http://www.modular.org/htmlPage.aspx?name=news26#yale
5. Whitley Manufacturing Co., Inc. 1995-2010. http://www.whitleyman.com/news/article.html?id=1206713574
Melrose II
1. www.scottsystem.com/informers/Beauty_in_the_Bronx.pdf
2. www.pathnet.org/si.asp?id=2652
3.campaign=en&utm_source=en-hana-us-sk-gm&utm_medium=ha&utm_term=maps
Metastadt-Bausystem
2. Anssen, M., ‘Interview mit dem Metastadt-Architekten Richard J. Dietrich : Man hätte uns nicht in Richtung Wulfen treiben dürfen’, Bauwelt, 79, 1988, pp.
1990-95.
3. Janssen, M., ‘Metastadt, Wulfen : Eine Studentin von heute über eine Utopie von gestern’, Bauwelt, 79, 1988, pp. 1990-91.
INTRODUCTION
Kim & Sill
1. http://www.architektenprofsill.de/flash/starter1280.htm
DETERMINANTS
2. http://www.detail.de/rw_5_Archive_En_HoleArtikel_1513_Artikel.htm
3. “Housing and commercial block in rathenow” Detail Magazine. Vol. 38. No. 5. Pg. 808-812. 1998
4. http://myweb.wit.edu/kiml1/590fall05/web-content/terry.pdf
Drop House
1. Nuruly. Home Decor G. 2010. http://www.homedecorg.com/2010/04/the-drop-house-modern-wooden-prefab-home/
Kim House
DEPLOYMENT
Urban Shelter Building
1. http://www.onesmallproject.com/pagescontributors/contributorparejo.html
2. http://www.recetasurbanas.net/indexphp?idioma=ENG&REF=1&ID=0003
Nomadic Museum:
1. http://www.burohappold.com/BH/PRJ_BLD_nomadic_museum.aspx
CONTEXT
2. http://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/architecture/11077/
Stelco Catalogue Housing
Puma City:
PRECEDENTS
“1. Adapting Prefabricated Industrial Systems into Innovative Architecture” by Jesse Cabrera & Daniel Ottochian
2. http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/fashion/articles/2009/04/23/a_portable_city_visits_fan_pier/
Studio East Dining
1. http://uk.westfield.com/stratfordcity/studio-east/studio-east-dining/
Precedents • 280
Precedents
Sources
Nomiya Restaurant
1. http://plusmood.com/2009/09/nomiya-temporary-rooftop-restaurant-pascal-grasso-laurent-grasso/
2. http://www.dezeen.com/2009/09/11/nomiya-temporary-restaurant-by-pascal-grasso/
South Side Row Houses
1. http://www.pci.org/pdf/publications/journal/1999/January-February/JL-99-JANUARY-FEBRUARY-3.pdf
2. http://www.pci.org/pdf/publications/ascent/2000/summer/AS-00SU-3.PDF
Rue De Meaux
1. http://www.housingprototypes.org/project?File_No=FRA006
Las Palmas Parasite
1. http://lifewithoutbuildings.net/2005/08/life without-books-green-house.html
2. http://www.kortekniestuhlmacher.nl/
Rucksack Housing
1. http://www.convertiblecity.de/projekte_proje kt02_en.html
Box Office:
1. Josh Brandt, Stack Design Build
Loft House
1. www.aisslinger.de
2. www.loftcube.net
Moduli 225
Rastipuisto
1. “The Art of Precast Concrete:” http://www.scribd.com/doc/18765509/the-art-of-precast-concrete-colour-texture-expression

INTRODUCTION
MOHO - Manchester
1. http://www.jouleconsultingengineers.co.uk/presnew.htm
Saterininne
DETERMINANTS
1. http://www.scribd.com/doc/18765509/the-art-of-precast-concrete-colour-texture-expression
Yacht House
Baukasten
Spacebox
DEPLOYMENT
1. www.mocoloco.com/archives/000821.php
2. www.spaceboxusa.com/
Bluff Homes
1. http://www.thebluffhomes.com/
Precast Concrete Segmental Bridges
1. Barker, James M. “Construction Techniques for Segmental Concrete Bridges” 1980.
CONTEXT
2. http://www.metamere.com/images/segmentalbridgeunderconstruction4.jpg
3. http://www.mtc.ca.gov/images/ta02-0307/skyway.jpg
4. http://www.gautrain.co.za/web_images/_2S22gQ.jpg
5. http://www.djc.com/stories/images/20090716/DSCN1968_big.jpg
PRECEDENTS
Parasite Prefab
1. www.calderflower.com.au
Parcel 12 & 18
1. http://urbantheorywest8amsterdam.blogspot.com/
Precedents • 282
Precedents
Sources
Pinchin Street Studios
1. http://www.containercity.com/pinchin-street-studios.html
2. http://londonwall.blogspot.com/2009/11/pinchin-street-studios-by-urban-space.html
Keetwonen:
1. http://www.tempohousing.com/projects/keetwonen.html
2. http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/08/24/prefab-friday-keetwonen-container-student-housing/
Park Row Terrace Housing
1. www.vetterdenk.com/work.php
Hong Kong Bank
1. Ford, Edward R. “The Details of Modern Architecture” Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2003.
2.The_Hongkong_and_Shanghai_Banking_Corporation
3. http://www.urbain-trop-urbain.fr/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Fiche-hong-kong-bank-de-Foster.pdf
4. http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/29554/52723412.pdf?sequence=1
5. http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic32894.files/7-4_Hongkong.pdf
Habitat ‘67
2. Cotter, Bill. “Habitat 67 Then and Now.” 2004. http://www.space1999.net/~sorellarium13/habitat-67.htm
Elemental
1. http://www.archdaily.com/10775/quinta-monroy-elemental/
2. http://www.elementalchile.cl/
3. www.acleanbreak.org

Precedents • 284

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Prefab City

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Prefab City

A compendium of strategies for prefabricated

Pre-fabrication in urban settings is an Four main purposes of the book:

By developing this matrix, we have given

A multitude of factors go into the design and

PRECEDENTS CONTEXT DEPLOYMENT DETERMINANTS INTRODUCTION

Ground: Rail Ground: Road Ground: Crane

The two most commonly used methods of Atlanta

TOFC COFC Beacon Park Freight Yard, Boston, MA

Two 8’-6” Two 9’-6”

In order to deliver pre fab modules to a site many

Single Unit Truck

Semi Tractor Trailer Truck

PRECEDENTS CONTEXT DEPLOYMENT DETERMINANTS INTRODUCTION

48,000 lbs. 8’-6”

48,000 lbs. 8’-6”

Vertical Clearance for Semi-Trailers Single Drop Trailer

45,000 lbs. 8’-6” 45,000 lbs. 8’-6”

Box Trailer Double Drop Trailer

*Flatdeck Trailer Stretched

*Way Oversized Load

Single Drop Trailer Stretched

* maximizes height 8’-6”

The most common trucks used for transport in

need to be considered if larger elements need to

Truck Making 60° Turn

Standard Semi-Truck Single Unit Truck

The size of the locks in at the Panama Canal

Container ship unit of measure: World’s Largest Ports

22. New York/ New Jersey

Transport Ships Types

Cargo Freight Specs:

Length: 155 feet

Main deck capacity: 15 max containers/palette

Football field: Cruise Speed: 530 mph

prefab component Max Speed: 126 mph

Cost: $5,000 per hour

Site Access + Assembly • 26

PRECEDENTS CONTEXT DEPLOYMENT DETERMINANTS INTRODUCTION

crane necessary for construction

surrounded site single access to site

crane necessary for speed

Site Access + Assembly • 28

Special crane components

Rigging keeps the forces of tension perpindicular

Winch Wood frame modules are best moved with

Rigging for wood frame module

Hand signals Permitting obstacles

Hoist Lower Raise Boom Lower Boom

Swing Raise Boom + Lower Boom + Stop

Site Dimensions Determined by

Knowing the limits and minimum site dimensions

53' 53' 53'

6' 6' 6'

From Truck to Site Off-Frame Modular Delivery

Backing up Entering site

Rent A Crane, Inc. http://www.rentacraneinc.com/equipment.html

Capitol Building Supply. 2008. http://cbsigms.com/pricing/cranecharges.pdf

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. September 2010. http://www.pnl.gov/contracts/hoist_rigging/

Wikipedia. 2010 2, November. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crane_(machine)

National Modular Housing Council. http://www.manufacturedhousing.org/mc/admin/template/

City of Boston.2010. http://www.cityofboston.gov/isd/building/boa/permittypes.asp

City of Boston. 2010. http://www.cityofboston.gov/transportation/