Keeping your Options open

摘要

Think of modular housing and the image most often conjured is either that of the brilliance of 1960s Japanese Metabolism, the enthusiasm of the 1976 Montreal Olympic Village or the more dismal British school buildings in the '60s. Admittedly, the 'modular' brand has returned somewhat since the late 1990s, with the fed for stacking old containers and calling them key-worker accommodation, but it is still suspected of being a bit dated. However, a more aesthetically pleasing modular construction is making its way over from Europe. Called 'Option', for obvious reasons, it allows, to a certain extent, a flexibility in its out-turn design and external appearance to suit the client's living requirements and the requirements of the site. It is manufactured by WeberHaus, a company set up in the 1960s in Germany and currently starting up a UK office to improve its visibility in the British prefab market. But, as managing director Dr Ralph Muehleck says, 'this house is for individuals looking for the extraordinary', and at around £84,000 for the basic house, including kitchen, bathroom, wooden flooring and heating, even though it is out of the reach of your average architectural journalist, it is affordable for many on a middle income.