Modular Urbanism

Modularized building materials and typologies have influenced constructiontechniques in the discipline of architecture for centuries. From ancient masonryunits, to thatch roof construction in Asia and Europe, to contemporaryversions including shipping containers; the size, weight, and proportion of themodule directly relates to the speed of construction.This essay will move beyond purely the use of modular building componentsin the design of space and investigate the modularity and mass-productionarchitectural typologies in direct relationship with the speeds and forms ofAmerican urbanization. Not limited to urban centers, but also the ubiquitoussuburban condition. The essay will make comparisons between historical andcontemporary forms of material and typological modularization.During the early 20th century the development of modularized building typologiesand systems accelerated the speed of urbanization in America. This wasaided by techniques of mass production including the assembly line, massproductionof the car, and Sears and Roebuck homes. The great economicboom of this period, coupled with over-crowded urban centers, encouragedmovement to the city’s periphery. Henry Ford’s invention of the assembly linein 1913 enhanced this migration and increased the need to build new homes.For example, the Sears and Roebuck mail-order kits offered 447 differenthousing styles, selling more than 100,000 homes between 1908 and 1940.Through both modularized systems and mass-production techniques Searsand Roebuck cut costs and reduced construction time by 40%.1 Another exampleis Levittown, New York, where the assembly-line concept allowed for thespeedy construction of houses — 150 per week, or one every 16 minutes ofan eight-hour day.2 In 1989 William Levitt told the New York Times, “What itamounted to was a reversal of the Detroit assembly line. There, the car movedwhile the workers stayed at their stations. In the case of our houses, it was theworkers who moved, doing the same jobs at different locations.”The standardization of materials and architectural typologies can be tracedthroughout American history and demographic shifts, including the 1924dimensional lumber sizes, and the development of 4’-0” x 8’-0” sheet material.These historic modular options tend to simplify building componentsand spaces; trading design for the speed of construction. The popularity andefficiency of modular building systems also became a viable option for commercialbased architectural typologies as seen in the construction of big boxstores and strip malls on the periphery of urban centers.Today modular building components still play a key role in both housing andcommercial building typologies. But since new fabrication techniques, standardarchitectural typologies have become less ubiquitous and more adaptiveto site, environmental conditions, and programmatic needs.In conclusion, modular based material and building typologies created formaximum efficiency and optimization in the early 20th century establisheda standardization or generic building typology for residential and commercialuse, which we can still see today. However, new materials, modules, and typologiesare being developed to account for new speeds and forms of urbanismin America. Only time will tell if these new modules are viable options.1 http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/2 Matt Schneiderman. http://therealdeal.com/issues_articles/william-levitt-the-king-of-suburbia/

Volume Editors
John Quale, Rashida Ng & Ryan E. Smith

ISBN
978-0-935502-85-5