Prefabricated housing 'becoming more popular'

Britons are increasingly opting for prefabricated housing, according to one industry spokesperson.

John Slaughter of the Home Builders Federation (HBF) commented that recent years have seen a rise in interest in prefab housing, while "some" volume increases have also been noted.

He added: "Probably the area that's most visible in that respect would be in relation to timber frames where you've got frame assembly off-site."

One explanation for the increase in popularity might be the fact that prefab housing is considered to be more environmentally-friendly.

The author of the book Prefab, Allison Arieff, recently suggested to the LA Times people who consider this type of selfbuild may be driven by "a financial and moral imperative to do things that are more sustainable".

Mr Slaughter explained that with off-site prefabrication systems, high levels of energy efficiency are achievable.

"They have early assurance of air tightness and insulation quality because it's produced according to specific specifications in a factory environment," he explained.


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