A literature review of the evolution of British prefabricated low-rise housing

O'Neill, Daniel; Organ, Samantha

Abstract

© 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore academic papers and reports and present a chronology of the evolution of British low-rise prefabricated housing. The paper provides chronological information for construction and surveying researchers undertaking research in associated areas. Design/methodology/approach – This is a qualitative literature review, providing an exploration and analysis of academic papers and reports on low-rise prefabricated housing. Findings – A substantial literature was discovered. However, there are gaps in the available literature. The history of British construction technology is a rich research area but is under-researched. Prefabricated housing has a long history dating back to the eleventh century. Stigmatised from the failures of housing in the twentieth century, it is being increasingly used again in the twenty-first century when considering mass housing supply. Research limitations/implications – This paper provides researchers with an overview of the history of low-rise prefabricated housing in the Britain. It is not a comprehensive in-depth study; such would require numerous larger individual studies. Originality/value – From reviewing literature it was evident that there was a broad literature, but there was no single journal publication exploring the evolution of British low-rise prefabricated housing. The research provides an overview, exploration and analysis of the literature while providing a chronology. The evolution of prefabricated housing is chronologically presented. Areas for further research are also recommended.

• Journal Article Type: Review
• Acceptance Date: Mar 14, 2016
• Publication Date: May 9, 2016
• Deposit Date: Dec 2, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 9, 2016
• Journal: Structural Survey
• Print ISSN: 0263-080X
• Publisher: Emerald
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 34
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 191-214
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/SS-08-2015-0037
• Keywords: prefabricated, housing, history, low-rise, chronology
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/912659
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/SS-08-2015-0037
• Additional Information: Additional Information : Has been downloaded 343 times as of 30th November 2016. This is the accepted version of an article published in Structural Survey. The final published version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/SS-08-2015-0037
• Contract Date: Dec 2, 2016