Lecture 08: Modular Architecture

PREFABRICATED & MODULAR ARCHITECTURE

FOUR MAIN CONSIDERATIONS

- IDEAS
- LOGISTICS
- AUTOMATION
- ADAPTABILITY

IDEAS

What kind of component would you prepare?
How do you assemble the components?

Lego (1932)
Revit, Archicad have component libraries which allow you to produce a building. The problem with this is that there is a limited number of components so the design can become the same and repeated.

The advantage of using Lego as a tool is its modular capability. It can allow you to be very creative.

Unité D'Habitiation (1952)
- Housing principle developed by Le Corbusier
- Extremely efficient by providing modular architectural design
- The modules can slot in to repeat the same thing.

Oil Rig Hotel
- Pre-manufactured components made cheaply and shipped to where they are needed
- Need to design how they can be shipped
- The elements are designed to the same dimensions of the shipping container otherwise it would be a very costly exercise
- This needs to be considered in our design


LOGISTICS

Infrastructure also needs to be designed
How they can be transported around? Its not just what people will see.
This is more relevant in the current digital age.
How will you construct the building?

1972 Nagakin Capsule Tower - Tokyo
- All the components of the building are modular, welded together
- Needs to fit onto a truck
- It is currently at risk of demolition, as the building sits on very valuable land. Many architects are opposed to this as the building was supposed to have a longer lifespan than a traditional building making it very sustainable.

One of the advantages of 3D simulation is that it allows us to see quite easily whether or not it can be built. (eg. Length of crane is enough to drop things onto the site?)

Walter Segal - Self Build System
- Council made available land for self building
- He designed a system so that normal people could build their own houses.
- A step by step construction using modular sizes of timber
- Successful in one way however it is not very active at the moment.
- Developed Calbuild Kit with John Frazer, a tool for calculating the cost of building (eg. depending on the number of glazed panels).

AUTOMATION

- Laser Cutting/Machining
- Pieces are generated using a CAD model
- Building components (Burst 2005)
- Building can be assembled on site


ADAPTABILITY

- People who are going to be using the building are the most important.
- Building must be designed to adapt to the changing needs of people

Muji House - Japan
-Order different modules for house.
- Same concept as Ikea

How can it be disassembled?
How can you minimise waste?
How can you re-use waste?
How can your building components be recycled at the end of the life span?
How sustainable is it?