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The world of prefab and modular homes. |
In August, Witold Rybczynski's skeptical take on prefab appeared in the form of a slideshow on Slate. We covered it, and disagreed. One thing we missed: he also made NPR.
The four minute interview reiterates much of the essay, but is worth a listen.
title: Pre-Fab Houses on the Rise
interviewer: Madeleine Brand
length: 4:06
date: August 9, 2007
publication: NPR's Day to Day
Comments
Preston on November 01, 2007 at 7:53 p.m.
Isn't it funny how the skeptics get the press? Pays to be a naysayer.
John Wimmer on December 18, 2007 at 6:11 p.m.
How disappointing that well-published author Rybczynski would leave one with such a one-sided perception of prefab [housing], considering the fact that just about any 2nd grade student can understand that prefabrication gets its affordability from mass production. OBVIOUSLY, single order homes of a custom design are going to be expensive, and therefore not representative of the purpose of prefabrication. Mr. Rybczynski is only describing the snappy photos of modernist models featured in the magazines and websites, and not at all addressing the vast majority of prefab product today. I really would have expected much more from him, and shame on NPR for not allowing for some sort of follow-up to challenge his very porous explanation of this matter. His apparently deliberate ignorance only hurts the overall effort to bring prefabrication to the masses and therefore offer a truly affordable product.
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