In the first article in this two-part series, we discussed the deepening affordable housing crisis, both in the United States and abroad, where we sit now with the problem, and how we got there. And now it’s time to look at our proposed solution: factory-built, technologically exacting modular housing.

Let’s trace, briefly, the overall trajectory of how we’ve come to build houses today. The first homes that humans occupied, and those for centuries to come, were built on-site, with whatever materials were available. Under these circumstances, homes didn’t have any set patterns or parameters, but were built up against topography and the elements however best the builders could. Corners were several degrees off from 90, and floors were often slightly slanted. It’s hard for us today to imagine putting together anything larger than an Ikea bed, let alone your car or your home from scratch, and yet most contemporary house construction still involves on-site const