Types of Prefabricated Structures

Mobile Homes

• Mobile homes are a common sight in certain parts of the country and may be the best-known example of prefab architecture. Mobile homes are built off-site in their entirety and transported by truck to the location where they are to be permanently installed. Some are built on wheels and retain the capability of being moved readily. Mobile homes have less structural integrity than traditionally built homes but are more portable.

Jean Prouve's Tropical House

• World-renowned architects in the post-World War II era began experimenting with prefab design and construction. Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright and others applied new mass-production technologies to their own unique structural designs. Jean Prouve's so-called Tropical House was a prefab structure composed almost entirely of small aluminum pieces. It utilized its own structure to heat and cool the house. Prouve built the Tropical House in hopes that its simple yet innovative design and low construction costs could be reproduced en masse, but this did not happen.

Manning's Cottages

• The first prefabricated structures were designed in the 19th century by English architect H. Manning. The simple, square, one-story houses were produced in pieces in England and shipped to Australia. They were then assembled without any cutting or nailing required. Manning achieved commercial success with his design, which inspired 20th century architects in their own prefab experiments.

Modular Homes

• Modular homes are another type of prefab structure widely used today. Their sections, or modules, are produced in factories, transported to the building site and assembled. Such homes often have multiple stories.