The Mass Housing Dilemma: An Industrial Design Process in Architecture

Abstract

World population growth and global warming are accentuating the long recognized problem of housing for the masses; millions are homeless, live in inadequate shelter, or as in the US Manufactured Housing market that is the focus of this thesis, live in nondurable poor quality ?manufactured? houses that are detrimental to health, at best, or during extreme weather events, suffer catastrophic damages often resulting in death to occupants. In this thesis, we have reviewed the role of the architect in the US Manufactured Housing industry; additionally, we identified the major problems that plaque the US Manufactured Housing Industry. Further, we have reviewed how architects and Industrial Designers use technology in their respective fields. Our findings and analysis suggest that an Industrial Design approach, applied in architecture for mass housing, offers a means of improving the architect?s role in manufactured housing for the masses.