2. From industrialized construction to off-site

Prefabrication" is often confused with "industrialization". It's possible to prefabricate our buildings, so we can reduce construction times and improve quality, but it's very difficult to reduce costs. To reduce costs, we need to industrialize.

Industrialized architecture is subject to a paradox: it must satisfy industrial production conditions to ensure a certain level of profitability – which imposes a high degree of standardization – but must also be able to vary sufficiently to be adapted to different locations and uses.

Standardization has always been used to optimize costs and reduce effort. The Greeks made extensive use of standardization when building, and the Parthenon is a magnificent example, with standardized columns, pediments and friezes.

In the 12th century, the notebooks of Villars de Honnecourt...