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The Sears architect

3/28/2007

In "The Prefabricated Home" (2005) Colin Davies suggests that focusing on perfection over practicality is partly the reason why architects, including big names like Frank Lloyd Wright, have historically failed in popularizing their ideas on house prefabrication. Such perfectionism reflects a classical attitude of architects waiting for the moment in which the world will understand their work, instead of undertaking the task of understanding how the world works. However, the failure in this case seems to have been mostly in relation with the business model, and not necessarily with the viability of the product (or the "architectural design" for that matter). Architects were indeed failing in their prefabrication ventures in the 1940s, a moment in which retail store Sears, Roebuck and Co. had already demonstrated the model was absolutely viable.

It seems that when it comes to prefabricated houses the critical matter is the business model. History suggests, for case, that partnerships with the government are doomed to fail. But once architects find the right business partner, their way-too-carefully-designed creation works in the real world as much as it does in the world of ideas.

There exists today a design-business partnership that has at last given an architecture big name the opportunity to try real world success in prefabrication. This is the partnership between Michael Graves and retail store Target. Since 2003, the AIA gold medal-awarded architect has been selling through this store three types of "customizable kits for single room additions know as 'Pavilions'" as explained on Graves' Web site. The attachable or freestanding rooms are 14' 3" by 14' 3" (167 sq feet) and sell for about $60,000 (materials: $23,000 - $25,000 plus installation $29,000 - $40,000). Materials, colors, shape and other features can be customized online using a Flash player interface.

Not only the pavilions, but also decorative and utilitarian (or both in one) objects for the house, and bearing the trademark Michael Graves Design are offered through the store. In total, Target carries more than eight hundred different Graves signature artifacts. The list includes a blender, a wood cutting board, a poker set, a waste can and several pet toys.

Although discretely, with such small architectural gesture (accompanied by such a huge houseware gesture) and now using the retail store model, big name architects seem to be back in the prefabrication game.

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On Michael Graves and prefabricated houses, an area in which Colin Davies says architects have done rather poorly. However, are we back in the game?

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