What Are Prefabricated Houses Called

Common names for prefabricated houses include prefabricated assembled buildings, modular buildings, and mobile homes. Here is a detailed explanation of these names:

1. Prefabricated Assembled Buildings
This is the most formal academic term for prefabricated houses, emphasizing their core characteristics of factory-prefabricated components and on-site assembly. Its core logic is "standardized design - industrial production - assembled construction". Components include walls, floors, stairs, etc., connected by bolts or welding. This construction method can significantly shorten the construction period (30%-50% shorter than traditional construction), reduce on-site wet operations (such as concrete pouring), and lower dust pollution, aligning with the trend of green building development. For example, Singapore's "HDB flats" extensively adopt prefabricated assembly technology, achieving efficient construction and quality control.

2. Modular Buildings
This name focuses on the spatial unitization characteristics of the building. Modular buildings divide the house into independent functional modules (such as bedroom modules and kitchen modules). Each module is completed with interior decoration and equipment installation in the factory before being transported to the site for assembly. Its advantages lie in high integration, enabling a "move-in ready" delivery standard. Moreover, modules can be repeatedly disassembled and reassembled, suitable for temporary buildings (such as post-disaster relief housing) or movable buildings (such as field research stations). Japan's "Sekisui House" modular products have achieved on-site assembly within 7 days.

3. Mobile Homes
This name emphasizes the temporary and movable nature of the building. Mobile homes typically adopt lightweight structures (such as steel frame + color steel plate enclosure), enabling rapid transportation and installation through folding or disassembly. They are commonly seen in scenarios like construction site dormitories and temporary exhibition buildings. Their design life is generally short (5-10 years), but they feature low cost (approximately 800-1500 yuan per square meter) and flexible deployment. For example, China's "Broad Sustainable Building" mobile building products achieve global delivery within 48 hours through standardized modules.

The Essence of Name Differences
The distinctions among the three names stem from their application scenarios and technological focuses: prefabricated assembled buildings are a broad concept encompassing all prefabricated component assembly methods; modular buildings highlight the independence of spatial units; and mobile homes focus on temporariness and mobility. In actual engineering projects, these names may be used interchangeably. For example, certain modular buildings can also be classified as prefabricated assembled buildings.