Kit-of-parts theory refers to the study and application of object-oriented building techniques, where building components are pre-designed / pre-engineered /
pre-fabricated
Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a structure in a factory or other manufacturing site, and transporting complete assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site where the structure is to be located. Some research ...
for inclusion in joint-based (linear element), panel-based (planar element), module-based (solid element), and deployable (time element) construction systems.
Construction
Kit-of-parts construction is a special subset of
pre-fabrication that not only attempts to achieve flexibility in assembly and efficiency in
manufacture, but also by definition requires a capacity for demountability, disassembly, and reuse. Kit-of-parts structures can be assembled and taken apart in a variety of ways like a construction toy.
Architecture
Kit-of-parts architecture involves organizing the individual parts and
raw material
A raw material, also known as a feedstock, unprocessed material, or primary commodity, is a basic material that is used to produce goods, finished goods, energy, or intermediate materials/Intermediate goods that are feedstock for future finished ...
in a building into assemblies of standard easy-to-manufacture components, sized for convenient handling or according to shipping constraints. The
construction
Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...
of the building is carried out on the assembly level as opposed to the raw material level. The
architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
defines a parts library describing every major assembly in the building. The assemblies are conceived in a systematic way, based on certain rules such as increment, size, or by
shape grammar. Standard, simple connections between the assemblies are carefully defined, so the number of possible shapes and appearance the parts can take is limitless.
Philosophy
Kit-of-parts philosophy goes hand in hand with advanced manufacturing,
automation
Automation describes a wide range of technologies that reduce human intervention in processes, mainly by predetermining decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions, as well as embodying those predeterminations in machine ...
, and computer and information technologies. Handling multiple identical components as instances of a master element is an efficient use of the computer in the planning stage, and use of standard components can take advantage of
mass-production and
mass-customization manufacturing technologies.
[A.S. Howe; I. Ishii; T. Yoshida (1999). Kit-of-parts: A review of object-oriented construction techniques. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction (ISARC16). 22–24 September 1999, Madrid, Spain. London: International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction (IAARC).]
MESR
Some engineering fields refer to kit-of-parts using the acronym MESR, which stands for the following:
• Modular – Systems and subsystems are designed such that discrete unit processes can be replaced with upgraded / enhanced technology as it becomes available.
• Extensible – Initial components and subsystems delivered with a structure or vehicle are not discarded or replaced as additional unit processes are added during subsequent stages of development.
• Scalable – Components and subsystems can be coupled / decoupled as required to accommodate specific design loads.
• Reconfigurable – Components and subsystems can be moved between locations and / or subsystems to perform a similar or identical function.
See also
* E. Ambasz (Ed.). (1972). Italy: The New Domestic Landscape, Achievements and Problems of Italian Design. New York: The Museum of Modern Art.
* A. Allison (2002). PREFAB. Salt Lake City: Gibbs Smith.
* C. Davies (1988). High Tech Architecture. London: Thames and Hudson.
* I. Ebong (2005). Kit Homes Modern. New York, NY, USA: Harper Collins Publishers.
* S. Kendall; J. Teicher (2000). Residential Open Building. London & New York: E & FN Spon.
* R. Kronenburg (2002). Houses in Motion. Great Britain: Wiley-Academy.
* R. Kronenburg (2003). Portable Architecture. Oxford: Elsevier / Architectural Press.
* K. Kurokawa (1977). Metabolism in Architecture. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, Inc.
* T. Nakamura (ed.). (1988). Norman Foster 1964–1987. A + U Architecture and Urbanism, May Extra Edition.
* M. Pawley (1993). Future Systems: The Story of Tomorrow. London: Phaidon Press Limited.
* J. Siegal (2002). Mobile: The art of portable architecture. USA: Princetion Architectutal Press.
* W. J. Van Heuvel (1992). Structuralism in Dutch Architecture. Rotterdam: Uitgeverij Publishers.
References
{{reflist
Manufacturing
Prefabricated buildings