Inside the Prefab House

The evolution of the prefab house decidedly includes the development of ideas and integration of prefabricated interior components. The notion of prefabrication, and particularly the prefabricated dwelling, receives continued attention by architects and designers for reasons of efficiency and affordability of construction coupled with a current shift toward, or return to, sustainable technologies, designs, and environments. Introduced in 1833 in England, the Manning Portable Colonial Cottage is the first documented prefabricated house. The Lustron House, a mass-produced prefab introduced by Carl Strundtland in 1946, integrates a conceptual link between the house's structure, interior, and exterior as expressed through material and finish. The interior elements of the Lustron House were developed as a system of prefabricated modular units that not only act as dividing or space-making elements, but also function as programmed space, shelving, cabinetry, closets, and vanities. The design of the Lustron House proved to be manifestly innovative in its expression of interior prefabricated elements.