Prefabricated homes allow a portion of the construction process to be carried out in a factory, and then the assembly is organized on site. Montse Pujol explains in “Toque de Ingenio” how Pret a Porter Casas combines this method of production with homes tailored to each client. Chapter 37 explores the relationship between architecture, engineering, components, and logistics, and demonstrates that industrializing also requires a change in the way decisions are made.
Guest: Montse Pujol, who appears in the episode as the CEO of Pret a Porter Casas.
Interview published: February 11, 2025. Episode: 37. Duration: 1 h 8 min.
In this episode:
- How does one translate a housing project into individual components that can be manufactured and assembled?
- Why customizing the outcome might be compatible with repeating industrial processes.
- What is the role of preliminary definition, transportation, and the planning of the setup?
Montse brings this proposal to light following a career in technical architecture, property promotion, and a family background connected to prefabricated construction. In the conversation, she recalls the contrast between the industrial organization and the coordination challenges she encountered on site. This article presents her model and her experience in February 2025.
Bringing factory logic to construction.
The interview highlights a shift in focus towards the need for better organization of work. Montse describes difficulties in understanding productivity, coordinating different trades, and controlling variations within a project. Her industrial experience provided her with another reference point for planning operations.
Industrializing involves defining processes that can be repeated using known instructions and conditions. The project needs to be translated into manufacturing tasks and related components. Improvement doesn’t solely rely on using prefabricated materials, but on organizing the entire process.
Montse clarified where a key part of that work is focused.
“The foundation is engineering and architecture”.
Montse Pujol 23:55.
The phrase helps to understand why previous design work becomes increasingly important. For manufacturing and assembly to be carried out efficiently, someone needs to resolve interfaces, dimensions, and sequences before production begins. The accuracy of the preparatory work makes the subsequent process on the factory floor and in construction much smoother.
The project begins with the land and the client’s needs.
Montse describes a process that begins with an assessment of the land and the possibilities of the plot. Following this, the family’s needs are discussed – including the number of rooms, layout, and desired usage – and the project must then connect these expectations with what is practically possible to build.
The company uses data from previous housing projects to quickly determine dimensions and budget. As they explain, this information helps to prevent clients and their team from spending a significant amount of time on a proposal that doesn’t align with their capabilities. This initial definition serves to focus the work.
The interview also considers collaboration with external architects. They need to understand the system and its rules to design with its components. Industrialisation can accommodate designs by different architects when they share a common technical basis.
For a project of Industrial engineering, The case demonstrates the value of documenting interfaces and limitations. A system becomes easier to use when those who design it understand its possibilities. Documentation connects the freedom to propose with the feasibility of implementation.
Customizing a home by repeating elements and processes.
Montse recounts that initially, they envisioned catalog homes, but clients requested changes. The property had a significant personal element, and the initial proposals didn’t adequately meet all expectations. This learning experience led to the system’s evolution.
The described solution aims to combine components in various ways. The factory can repeat operations while the resulting combinations produce different dwellings. Standardization is applied to the method of production and the way elements are connected, without requiring all the results to be identical.
Montse expresses her thoughts when discussing the homes that have been built:
“No one is like the other”.
Montse Pujol 27:19.
This idea is relevant for companies developing product families. Customizing each individual unit from scratch can be expensive; offering a single configuration can limit the market. A component-based architecture allows for exploring a middle ground, provided that the combinations are clearly defined and validated.
Also designed for transport and installation.
The conversation compares the system to an object that is transported in disassembled form and assembled at its destination. The image helps to understand the selection of components that can be stored, loaded, and transported to the assembly location in an organized manner.
Montse explains that the housing model is transformed into components for the production lines. Subsequently, assembly teams then assemble these components on site. The design must maintain a clear relationship between what is designed, what is manufactured, and what the assembler receives.
Logistics imposes real constraints. The interview mentions the need for lorry and crane access, which can make some locations more difficult. The size and characteristics of the land are not the only factors: access and working conditions on site also matter.
In the product design, This vision applies to any object or equipment that needs to be moved before it functions. Packaging, access, handling, and assembly can all influence the design from the outset. Addressing these issues at the end often leaves less room for choosing a suitable solution.
Define beforehand to plan better afterwards.
Montse bases her design on a previously established definition of scope and price. In her explanation, making decisions before production helps to minimize variations during the process. This allows the client to understand more clearly what is included in the agreed-upon proposal.
The episode also highlights the time required for production compared to other deadlines, such as obtaining licenses. This difference is important for interpreting any schedule. Organizing a plant does not automatically mean controlling all the administrative and external steps of the project.
Operational teaching involves identifying dependencies. A plan needs to know what can begin, what requires prior approval, and what information needs to be defined before execution. Coordination improves when these milestones are visible to all parties involved.
The conversation compares costs based on the guest’s experience, but it doesn’t offer a budget applicable to any particular property. Dimensions, features, and location all influence the project. The value lies in the method of defining costs and the intention of reducing uncertainty before implementation.
Training, materials, and process improvement.
Montse is addressing the availability of skilled workers and training within the factory. A defined process allows for the teaching of specific operations and the organization of the work of new employees. Industrialization also transforms the skills required and the way they are transmitted.
The interview links energy efficiency with decisions regarding insulation and materials. The factory provides an environment for studying and replicating solutions, but the outcome of a home depends on its overall design. The benefits should be linked to technical decisions and their verification.
Montse also discusses proximity and durability when explaining her criteria for materials. The focus of this reflection lies in evaluating various stages: origin, manufacture, use, and the building’s lifespan. Sustainability requires a holistic approach, considering the specific conditions of each solution.
For other industrial sectors, the parallelism is clear. Repeating a process makes it easier to learn from its results and review operations. Accumulated experience has value when it’s fed back into the design, allowing for improvements in the next unit or configuration.
What can another development team learn?
- Define interfaces and rules that allow components to be combined without requiring a complete redesign of the system.
- Integrating transport, access, and assembly considerations into the initial project decisions.
- Separate your own deadlines and external dependencies to create a clear and understandable calendar.
- Utilize repeatable processes to form teams and improve through manufacturing experience.
Pret a Porter Casas demonstrates how industrialized construction combines personalization with process organization. Their case provides valuable insights for companies seeking to transform diverse configurations into a more predictable manufacturing process. At i-mas, we can help you establish a relationship between design, components, and production. Tell us about your industrial project..
To continue reading: The process of industrializing a product in the case of Citring One..
Source of article: Interview with Edgar Guerrero and Montse Pujol on Toque de Ingenio, published on February 11, 2025. The quotes link to their passages in the video; the summaries are an editorial synthesis of the conversation.
