In recent years, the emergence of housing crises has become more pronounced throughout Europe, impacting nations with diverse economic standings. Countries such as Portugal, Turkey, and even affluent Luxembourg find themselves contending with the shared challenge of ensuring affordable and accessible housing for their citizens. The homeownership rate among young people in Portugal has plummeted by 50% over two generations, attributed to a real estate crisis, resulting in an 8.7% surge in house prices over the past decade. In the capital, Lisbon prices have gone up by 5.8% reaching 5426 Euros per square meter which This equates to a staggering 30% in 5 years. With the average rent in Lisbon being just over €2000 while the minimum wage is about €760, the housing situation in Lisbon is in dire circumstances.

Modular construction has stood out as a notably profitable and cost-effective approach to building, showcasing its effectiveness with meticulous planning & execution. Portuguese based architects MASSLAB, won a competition promoted by the Housing and Urban Rehabilitation Institute which aims to construct 100 prefabricated affordable housing aligning with the measures of the Mais Habitação program. The Mais Habitação program was set up reduce bureaucratic regulations, simplify procedures & to ultimately accelerate the housing construction with the primary objective of facilitating expeditious development of a greater number of residential properties.

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Spain with the support of donations was able to set up 8 temporary prefabricated housing modules after an earthquake gripped a village in Morocco. Implementing prefabrication, they were able to complete each unit within two days and hence providing housing for 32 families affected by the disaster. In Barcelona, an affordable prefab homes costs 100,000 Euros and a luxurious one stands at around 300,000. This pricing however is still extremely competitive when compared to the price of conventional stick built homes. If you’ve yet to begin your modularization journey, now is the time. Join us at The Modular for Affordable Housing to earn insightful knowledge and join fruitful discussions on understanding emerging construction technologies, including robotics, 3D imaging and even the use of RFID-BIM which are becoming increasingly leveraged to aid the design and development of modular construction.