With startling serendipity, less than a month after posting on recent prefabs in Australia whilst asking after prefabs designed to fit into the dense urban environments, around the corner New London Architecture unveils a new temporary exhibition on just that matter.
"Prefabulous London shows that a modern approach to prefabricated construction is flourishing in the capital with a new generation of designers and manufacturers building on the pioneering work of organisations such as the Peabody Trust."
"City apartments lend themselves well to factory built components where the quality of construction needs to compensate for higher densities and restricted space for accommodation. Offsite construction is also less disruptive in the city environment with increased construction speeds bringing a corresponding reduction in noise and transport and material handling in the neighbourhood."
"It is evident that many designers are also promoting the modular unit not only as a way of producing affordable housing but also as a fashionable lifestyle product. No more connotations of the stigmatised post-war temporary housing; the prefab is now an aspirational dwelling which is becoming increasingly desirable."Prefabulous London is on now at NLA (just off TCR in central London) and runs until 18 March 2006. You can find out more at the NLA site. You can also download the exhibition catalogue [PDF], which contains the bulk of the exhibition, to be honest, comprising an A-Z of issues and examples. They were setting up as I walked past and ducked in, so I'm not sure what else will be there - though the centrepiece appeared to be a 1-1 scale floorplan laid out like a carpet, illustrating Notting Hill one-bed prefabs by PRP Architects/Willmott Dixon, found under A in the catalogue. So, support NLA exhibitions with your physical presence, why don't you. New London Architecture: Prefabulous London exhibition
