From the Editor's Desk
Modern design could help
Arthur
McLean

It wouldn't take a big government study to figure out there's a need for affordable housing in Thomasville these days.

Just take a look at the manufactured homes popping up around town. That should tell you all you need to know.

The fact that many of these newest installations on the town's landscape aren't exactly pristine examples of the genre highlights this point.

Now, don't get me wrong, I have nothing against manufactured homes. In fact, I think they could be leading the way in creating exciting affordable housing in this country.

With manufactured houses being produced in a factory, economies of scale can be reached that are hard for site-built homes to approach.

The process is also a little "greener" according to many experts with better management of waste from the construction process.

Unfortunately, there are obstacles.

Manufactured homes haven't had a very good reputation in the past for quality of construction. New HUD regulations over the years and a new commitment by the industry seem to be remedying this issue.

But it will take time for that image to be put to rest.

The second issue is one of social image. Be honest with yourself, when you hear the term manufactured home or mobile home, you probably think of a downtrodden little trailer somewhere with a few sprigs of grass desperately trying to grow up through the red clay, or maybe a rusting hulk of a car up on bricks.

There are, of course a number of factors that over time have contributed to this image. But I have to think part of it was a kind of rock bottom dollar attitude of the industry. If they could build homes cheaper, then build them as cheap as possible, it seems.

Thirdly, the design of manufactured homes over the years hasn't exactly been eye pleasing. Years of ungainly designs recently gave way to more homelike exteriors, but they were exteriors that lacked depth and looked more like Hollywood back lot facades than real homes. More recent design trends are trying to remedy that situation, but the efforts still seem to be like pounding a square peg into a round hole.

Enter modern design.

The marriage of clean, sleek, modern architecture with the assembly line has been a dream of the genre since its birth decades ago.

Architecture magazine, sustainable living groups and others have breathlessly talked about coming revolution of affordable housing for the past few years.

But so far, most of the new designs for manufactured and modular housing have been done by high-powered architects in expensive, one-off projects. Literally hundreds of ideas exist only as computer renderings.

But so far, modern architecture and the manufacturers of the modular-mobile home industry have been strangers to each other. Partly because so many of these high-concept architect want to use materials that are entirely unfeasible for affordability and mass-production. Partly because the manufactured home companies are stubbornly still trying to fulfill the 1950s idea of what a family home should look like.

The key is getting the manufacturing sector involved.

I personally feel that exciting things can happen if good modern design and the manufactured home were combined.

And just for kicks, let's start with Alabama. Why not have architecture and design students at our universities compete to come up with new and exciting designs. Then get a manufacturer or two on board to actually build a few examples. Coordinate this with a grant or two, and you could have a full-blown proof of concept development done in a fairly short time to show what can be done in the area of affordable housing. And Alabama could lead the way.

Reader Comments

No comments have been posted. Be the first!

Other Stories With Comments:
Article	Comments
Taking Names and Keeping Score	1
Frances Nichols passes at 91	1
Bryant is a contestant in Ms. Senior Alabama Pageant	1
Dunagans to celebrate golden anniversary	1