Dubbed "palaces for the people", prefabricated houses offered cheap rent and unimagined luxury to soldiers returning from war and displaced Britons who had been bombed out of their homes.
Faced with a chronic, new housing shortage, Britain is once more embracing prefabrication as it struggles to meet its promise to build a million homes in England by 2020.
Britain's largest remaining prefab housing estate sits in Catford, a suburb in south London.
The Excalibur Estate dates back to the 1940s and now faces demolition, despite a fierce preservation battle waged by campaigners and residents.
The Excalibur, once a maze of alleyways connecting 187 pastel-coloured prefabs, has long been a target for development as it occupies prime London land, with prime property prices.
While prefabs have drawn scorn - critics say they are poor quality and hard to heat - Excalibur resident Christine Gregory said hers had been a perfect home for more than 30 years.
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