20
process was the development of the balloon frame, which was a new method of assembly rather than a new material, that transformed residential architecture in the united states during the later half of the nineteenth 19
century.
The type of processes here proposed are already
standard practice in other industries that produce large artifacts. Cars, ships and airplanes are no longer made on a single assembly line they way the were in the days of Henry Ford. Today production is tiered into the construction of a series of integrated component assemblies; individual pieces are made into assemblies, assemblies are put together to form modules, modules are put together into blocks, and blocks are assembled in the final moments to form the whole. Each one of these tiered processes occurs on it’s own assembly line with each piece, assembly, module and block being inspected before it moves to the next phase.
20
The assembly of blocks or modules is
advantageous because it does not demand that
Notes 19 Kieran & Timberlake, 119. 20 Ibid., 73-89. 21 Ibid., 75. 22 Ibid., 57. 23 Ibid., 77.
construction processes be performed from the ground up. The construction process therefore no longer has to be linear. Different segments can be produced simultaneously to reduce construction time. Further elements can be rotated and repositioned to make access easier for workers. Also these elements are built indoors in controlled conditions without the need for weather stoppages. Tools and equipment are available nearby, and workspace is less crowded.
21
Assembling a building in this way would be
analogous to quilting. Once a conceptual system exists