Prefab Modern Paperback – February 7, 2006

Copyright 2004, so I'm sure there's a newer generation of designs and concepts but I enjoyed this book, if they are still in business almost 10 years later in this type of field of offering I assume they are a good overall business. Making a Amtrak cruise there to see there houses first hand.

really cool book has great ideas for prefab and really shows you what prefab is from back then up until now

I bought this because I am thinking on building my own new family home and like the modernism and on-site cleanliness that comes from prefab construction methods. I wanted to see what can be done and where there might be some design considerations I had not...er...considered! This book was very helpful, but it would be better if it gave information on costs and suppliers.

Great overview of the best of the architect-designed prefabs. Beautiful photos.

Buyer beware! The book looks like it had been slid across a rough surface multiple times and on both sides and the spine of the cover. It has a odd odor. The content is fine. Much of book deals with container homes.

I fully agree with one reviewer's (shawn murphy) comments. This book serves really good as a catalogue of what's available on the market right now (though not comprehensive enough). In general, the text focuses on customers' perspective, not from an architect's lense. Hence, you will know what you will get if you order these houses, but not enough information about the design philosophy and creative ideas behind these products. You can just pick up this book and skim through it at a bookstore. Write down the names of the houses and architects you are interested. Then google them for more information.For example, I am really interested in the cool Bombala Farmhouse on page 102, and two other houses designed by Collins & Turner. However, the text in the book did not tell me a lot about these designes. You can find more information on the architects' website.Another example: On page 122-123, the author described the House in the Woods designed by Resolution:4 Architecture. In fact, this very house is the winner of Dwell magazine's 1st Dwell Home Design Competition. You can find more detailed and thoughtful reports about this prefab design in two issues of the Dwell magazine (Oct/Nov 2004, and Dec 2004).That being said, the book also has several strengths. It does provide a lot of information considering the number of prefab houses and the future designs or concept houses featured in the book. The section of "constructing prefab" is informative, too. Overall, it is an okay book (maybe 3.5 star is a more appropriate rating). But, if you are a serious reader about prefab architecture, this is not a valuable book to purchase and collect for you library.

I love this type of architecture.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough...if you are interested in actually seeing livable houses that are prefab, this is the book for you. There are other books; but they are scholarly explanations of the genre. This book, just published, has incredible up to date information on about 50 houses you can order online(!)--today. And there's every style for every taste. For a full-time house, or especially for the weekender, these houses are perfect: Affordable and gorgeous. The design of the book really showcases how each house looks inside and out. If you want to live prefab, this is THE book for you.