At the beginning of the 1960s, the adaptable, flexible dwelling became the architectural model of a society for which a process of constant change was predicted. Architects and engineers eagerly applied themselves to implementing ideas for a new, modern building culture through the use of industrial production methods, as postulated by Konrad Wachsmann in 1959. It was a time of bold, Utopian designs and technological experiments, in which building systems were seen to embody the spirit of modern architecture.After little more than a decade, this great endeavour simply petered out. Now, a generation later, the ecological and economic challenges facing the construction sector and the new manufacturing processes that are available would seem to have given system building a new impetus. Roland Krippner