Prefabricated Housing Construction Throughout History

[EN] This paper explores the historical evolution of prefabricated housing construction, from its origins to its contemporary development. Prefabricated construction has been used since the 19th century as a fast and efficient solution for the creation of structures, notable for the off-site fabrication of components, which optimizes execution times. Over time, this technique has evolved from being used in situations of emergency or temporary need, such as in World War II, to becoming a permanent and sustainable alternative in modern architecture. The analysis of the historical evolution allows us to identify the interests and motivations that have driven the use of prefabricated construction. These include the need to solve housing crises, the interest in reducing construction costs and the desire to innovate in terms of design and sustainability. Industrialization and technological progress have also played an important role in its adoption, allowing for greater flexibility in materials and assembly systems. Finally, this study concludes that the main motivations behind the adoption of prefabricated construction lie in two key factors: the speed of assembly, which significantly reduces construction times compared to traditional construction, and the variety in design, which allows prefabricated solutions to be adapted to various architectural and aesthetic needs. These advantages, combined with the possibility of reducing environmental impact and costs, have consolidated prefabricated construction as a viable and attractive option in today¿s architectural context.