Loblolly House: Elements of a New Architecture + DVD

Library Journal

The authors, principal architects of the firm Kieran Timberlake Associates, here apply some of the same ideas about revolutionizing the construction process that they explored in their 2003 book, Refabricating Architecture: How Manufacturing Methodologies Are Poised To Transform Building Construction. To this end, their Loblolly House is composed of simplified parts and integrated components, or "cartridges," installed within an aluminum frame. Both frame and parts were prefabricated off-site and quickly and accurately assembled on-site thanks to the architects' use of building information modeling (BIM) and standardized joints. This eliminated a great deal of wasted time and materials typical of the construction process; what's more, the "assembled" building can be disassembled and the components reused or recycled. Loblolly also demonstrates that prefabricated architecture can be aesthetically interesting and responsive to site, in this case, an island in Chesapeake Bay. The design and assembly process are detailed in photographs and text. The accompanying DVD provides further insight and additional comments from the architects and the components' manufacturers. Recommended for architecture libraries; an essential purchase for any collection already having Refabricating Architecture.
—Amy Trendler