Case a catalogo : temi, progetti e prototipi italiani (1932-1962) / Laura Greco, Francesco Spada.

Roma : Gangemi editore, [2023]

158 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Progetto e costruzione dell'architettura
Architettura

"The production of single-family homes based on the dry assembly of prefabricated components underwent fundamental developments in Italy between the 1932 Milan Trade Fair and the First Prefabrication Exhibition in 1962. This contributed to the transition from traditional to industrialized construction thanks to a niche experience shaped by autarchic experimentation, postwar reconstruction, and the transformations brought about by the economic boom. The analyses conducted so far on the subject have focused on the major cases, the production of the most renowned companies and designers; however, the phenomenon's reconciliation within the context of twentieth-century Italian construction practices is still incomplete. Drawing on archival materials from designers, manufacturers, and clients, this volume offers a reading of the Italian prefabricated house in light of the national context and foreign influences, examining three key periods in the story: demountable constructions for the colonies in East Africa; emergency housing for reconstruction; and vacation homes during the economic boom. Thus, in a scenario of industrialization trials, an Italian approach to the small prefabricated house emerges, advancing along the trail of a mass-customization ante litteram, culturally accredited by designers, and technically supported by an artisanal production network ready to lead its production towards a regime of proto-industrialization, validated by patents and prototypes sometimes inspired by the functionalist ideology of the living cell, more often by the entrepreneurial pragmatism of catalog sales of flexible solutions. Laura Greco, architect and PhD, is an associate professor of Technical Architecture in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Calabria. Her research focuses on the evolution of construction techniques in Italy in the twentieth century, with particular emphasis on the relationship between architecture and construction within the national heritage. Francesco Spada, a civil engineer and architect with a PhD, collaborates on the scientific and teaching activities of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Calabria in the field of Technical Architecture. His studies focus on the development of construction techniques in Italy in the twentieth century in relation to the industrialization of the construction sector" -- publisher's website viewed November 10, 2025.

9788849246216
8849246218

Prefabricated houses History 20th century.
Architecture, Domestic Italy History 20th century.
Buildings, Prefabricated Italy History 20th century.
Constructions préfabriquées Italie Histoire 20e siècle.

Greco, Laura, 1967- Essays. Selections.
Spada, Francesco (Engineer). Essays. Selections.

Location: Library main 319197
Call No.: 319197
Copy: 1
Status: Available