To most people, the term prefabricated structures means modular building systems of one type or another, maybe referring as well to the construction method employed in creating buildings of this kind, namely mass-producing walls, roofing and other main components in one location, and assembling them in another.

We have been using prefabs throughout history and around the globe. In a way, you could even make a case that the Great Pyramids were prefab structures, as the enormous blocks used in there construction often came from considerable distance!

Seriously though, a disproportionate amount of famous architecture is prefabricated, or has major components that are prefab: the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty and Chrysler Building, the Space Needle in Seattle, cathedrals and churches on European countries and many more around the globe. Creating large pieces of buildings in remote locations where assembly was simpler is a very old tradition indeed.

In the modern era, it was during the World War II that the use of became common again, as a cheap way to house military personnel. Quonset huts and the like were much cheaper and easier to built compared to conventional construction methods. In prefab construction almost 90% is done in the factory and brought to the construction site for completion. The remaining 10% is for the assembly and final touch up of the building.

Before, flexibility in aesthetics was limited because of technical limitations, but as construction methods and materials advance, new approaches to prefab are being developed constantly, and you can now see enormous diversity in prefab structures. Customization to fit the demands of owners and architects is much easier now, with CAD systems and modern building techniques.

Nowadays, you might even have a difficult time distinguishing between structures done in prefab and the ones built in a conventional way. Another benefit is that many architects are now incorporating prefabricated technology in construction as part of their design and even incorporating also green materials and procedures as an answer to the global concern about the environment.