Variety and industrial production : the case of housing

Abstract

Industrial processes have addressed with various degrees of success the question of housing production. If assembly-line methods have proven their efficiency in the production and distribution of low-cost housing, they have been less successful in achieving product diversification, and now suffer from a negative image resulting from this weakness. On the other hand, open and closed systems, based on component kits of parts allowing various assemblies, show a greater potential for variety generation; but their implementation has to face resistances arising from the production systems themselves and from their implications in terms of product conception. Considering variety as an essential value in the richness of our environment, and regarding individual differences as a variety generator, the purpose of this work is to understand the match between people and industrial systems involved in housing production and to explore the capacity of industrial processes in satisfying individual requirements.