These days, a wall is a sophisticated and complex product that shouldn't be thrown together in a field.
Over a decade ago, Architect James Timberlake wrote that mass production was the "the ideal of the early twentieth century" and that mass customization is "the recently emerged reality of the twenty-first century." He also noted that "to uphold a true return to craft, construction needs to embrace new technologies and methods for making."
I was reminded of this when I read about prefab builder Bensonwood's new product- PHlex, a prefabricated wall panel for Passive House buildings that builders can buy and use to assemble custom homes on site. It's a PHascinating concept; meeting the Passive House standard for air tightness is easier to do in a factory than on site. But this is where the Mass Customization comes in to play; every Passive House design has to hit certain numbers for heat loss or gain, so the amount of insulation can vary significantly. So the walls are not only customized for clients in terms of length and height, but also thickness. Hans Porschitz of Bensonwood explains: "Our PHlex system adapts to each building's parameters to achieve Passive House performance, including the local climate, the orientation of the home, occupancy, square footage and budget."
© Bensonwood PHlex wall section
