by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Registered Architect

The great Finnish architect, Alvar Aalto once stated in an interview [1], “One of the great problems for an architect today is to save the human being—to make individualism of collectivism.” With the rapidly growing population, current economic crisis, and recent environmental disasters, the need for affordable and sustainable housing has moved into the forefront of discussions throughout the construction industry. Future decisions are based on lessons learned from the past; architectural achievements have always been a testament of the ingenuity of humans throughout the world.

Although manufacturing techniques have always relied on economy of scale, the Industrial Revolution brought about great innovations through mechanical automation. Humans, like many other animals, have always used tools throughout their daily lives; though it was invention of machines to mass produce those tools that has us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. Anyone familiar with the work of French architect, Le Corbusier will know, “The house is a machine for living in.”

Modular construction offers a variety of potential cost saving opportunities. Speed is increased by reducing the time involved by workers [2]. Production costs are a lowered through assembly line operations. Architectural design still remains flexible by arrangement of modules, while occupational hazards are reduced in a control factory environment. Of course, these gains must be weighed against the complexity of transportation of modules to site while factoring in the added costs of coordination and planning involved [3]. The set up costs of a production plant and a reluctance of the industry towards this modular approach must also be considered.

The concept of tiny homes has emerged over the past decade, due in part to rising land costs in dense urban areas. This has been compounded by the increases in material and labor costs during the current inflationary cycle. These homes range in size from 60 to 400 square feet, with most around 200 [4]. The idea is reminiscent of the western expansion that occurred in the United States. It borrows from recreational vehicle culture with the idea of a home on wheels.

Bamboo has been used as a building material throughout Asian and the Pacific Islands. With more focus on sustainability, it has grown more popular throughout the rest of the world. Bamboo is durable, flexible, lightweight, and low in cost; it is also easy to cultivate and process [5]. Several barriers currently exist for this new tiny home movement, though this is common with many emerging markets. State and local governing agency require regulations and oversight. Current building codes and zoning codes to not address this niche of home construction.

Human centered design is based of observation of the needs and desires of people [6]. The modern ethos of the American Dream is centered around buying and owning one’s own home. These modular and prefabricated systems have many benefits that support that vision, while bamboo would be the preferred material over wood and concrete for resilience and steel due to higher costs [7]. Although recent events have created physical distance in the interpersonal dynamic of the work environment, new information technologies have simultaneously brought people closer together in was not possible in the past. As these boundaries begin to blur and individuals continue to strive to connect with one another, we will likely see a shift towards a collectivist culture. Local and regional economies are no longer isolated and a global-centric and united ideology is forming in minds across the world.

References

[1] Peter, John. (1994). The Oral History of Modern Architecture: Interviews with the Greatest Architects of the Twentieth Century. H.N. Abrams.
[2] Hořínková, Dita. (2021). Advantages and Disadvantages of Modular Construction, including Environmental Impacts. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. 1203. 032002. 10.1088/1757-899X/1203/3/032002.
[3] Pervez, Hamza & Ali, Yousaf & Pamucar, Dragan & Garai-Fodor, Mónika & Csiszarik-Kocsir, Agnes. (2022). Evaluation of critical risk factors in the implementation of modular construction. PLOS ONE. 17. e0272448. 10.1371/journal.pone.0272448.
[4] Boyer, K & Simons, A. (2022). Creating a tiny home building code to positively affect long-term sustainability. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. 1218. 012013. 10.1088/1757-899X/1218/1/012013.
[6] Boruah, Dipanka. (2022). A Human Centered Approach to Redesign Prefab and Modular Bamboo Houses. 10.1007/978-3-030-94277-9_81.
[7] Zhang, Yinchen. (2022). Research on the Current Situation and Prospect of Green Building Technology in China. Highlights in Science, Engineering and Technology. 28. 133-140. 10.54097/hset.v28i.4098.