Johansson, C (2001) A modularization approach to housing. In: Akintoye, A (ed.) Proceedings of 17th Annual ARCOM Conference, 5-7 September 2001, Salford, UK.
Abstract
The manufacturing of customized products from standardized parts is common in many industries to obtain product diversification for fulfilling different customer demands. To become competitive in an international market, the housing industry now faces the challenge of creating design concepts that are adaptable to local conditions. A background study for research aiming at increasing understanding of how to create concepts for modular building systems that can be adapted according to product variance requirements and that allow for maintenance, replacement and upgrading to be done economically over the building life cycle in different countries is presented here. The study has found that housing conditions vary greatly over Europe and customization in housing is not very widespread. Many people live in inadequate housing, because they cannot afford to pay for refurbishment or a new home. An approach to modularization is proposed to identify how product variance requirements and components life cycle characteristics can be used to design dwellings, which can be run and maintained economically over their lifetime.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | customization; housing; housing condition; life cycle costs; manufacturing; modularization; product platform |
| Index terms: | international market, diversification, modularization, modular building system, housing, replacement, product platform, Europe, variance, customization, life cycle cost, upgrading, life cycle, face, building life cycle |
| Subjects: | construction type, strategic management, materials science, value management, psychology, construction manufacturing, construction methods, innovation and technology management, physical geography and landforms, research methods, development economics, market analysis, building construction, measurement and scaling, asset management |
| Topics: | Construction Technology, Project Management, Geographical Context, Research Practice, Engineering Principles, Business Strategy, Organizational Design, International Construction |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCA |
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