Prefab Prototypes: Site-specific Design for Offsite Construction Hardcover – May 30, 2006

I gave this as a gift...so someone else knows this book better than I.The drawings are definitely for an architect to decipher...but they are beautiful...

Prefab Prototypes is a compilation of the prefab. works done by Mark and Peter Anderson and their firm. It does well in defining the different types of prefabrication and how they might be adapted. Where the book would have been more helpful is in showing a few connection details and how those were worked out. With this simple inclusion that book would have been far more useful.

This book goes above and beyond the typical prefab picture book. The images are not only compelling but are informative in a way that brings clarity to someone who wants to have a better understanding of how prefabrication actually works. The Andreson's passion for design, experimentation, and progress is truly inspiring. As a young professional it is good to see a smaller firm doing interesting work. The book is very detailed, and provides clear diagrams of connections and materials. You can see very easily how it all comes together. The one thing I would have liked to know more about is (on a project by project basis) how exactly the prefabrication process takes place. It is not clear how the architect and prefabricators interact as far as collaborating on a set of documents that gets the building or project built. Perhaps that is thier proprietary secret, or perhaps it is too boring for a handsome architecture book. You can only put so much information in one book, and this one is filled to the brim.

I was actually looking for a different book when Amazon helpfully told me that people who bought the book I was looking at also had bought Prefab Prototypes. Intrigued and impressed by the other reviews, I let Amazon sucker me into buying an extra book and I'm glad I did!Prefab Prototypes is well written and extensively illustrated. The renderings are both elegant and informative. It covers a range of different prefabrication techniques and features built projects. Prior to buying this book I wasn't familiar with Anderson Anderson Architecture. I'm interested in learning more now. Prefab Prototypes will be an inspiring addition to any collection.

The craft of this book is as enhancing as many other that have won awards over the past decades. I personally have been trained to view things at the tectonic level and the technical pages coordinate wonderfully with the graphic pages. The Andersons have a very nice way of depicting there key elements within each project.If you're looking for some precedents of Pre-Fabrication projects that literally are site specific, modular, green and even custom this is a perfect book and you will be very happy with your investment. From the choice of colors to how they label the diagrams makes understanding the project very nice.Good job and thanks

This book is gorgeous. Excellently written with amazing axonometric drawings of provocative projects. In a word, the drawings are luscious. It's no wonder these guys are winning competitions left and right.