What Industrialized Construction Could Learn from Ford's Model T

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Disbrave Car Dealership / João Filgueiras Lima (Lelé). Image via Disbrave

On October 1, 1908, Ford launched its first model car in the American market, the Ford T, starting the automotive industry and establishing new paths for industrialization. Inspired by the manufacturing systems of weapons and sewing machines, in 1913, Henry Ford revolutionized production with the first moving assembly line to produce the Model T; a simple, safe, reliable and cheap car. 

The price decreased over time as production became more efficient. The Model T cost $850 in its first year and, as the manufacturing process became more efficient, it decreased to $290 in 1927, the last year it was produced. Industrialization led to optimized costs, time, and logistics.

Similar to the automotive industry, the construction market moves large amounts of capital, with large investments, incentives, and the need to employ a great number of people in its productive chain. Despite this, the use of technology and serialized production did not evolve in the same way. In architecture, industrialized materials represent only a limited amount of what is made, and many times it is restricted to specific cases. However, it is important to highlight some efforts in this direction. For instance, with the use of pre-fabricated components, it usually means better conditions on the construction site and the ability to save time, materials, and money.

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Cite: Daudén, Julia . "What Industrialized Construction Could Learn from Ford's Model T" [Ford T e o papel da indústria na construção civil] 10 Oct 2018. ArchDaily. (Trans. Cavallaro, Fernanda) Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/903298/what-industrialized-construction-could-learn-from-fords-model-t> ISSN 0719-8884

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