Abstract:In most emerging economies, there has been many incentives and high availability of funding for low-cost housing projects. This has encouraged product standardization and the application of mass production ideas, based on the assumption that this is the most effective strategy for reducing costs. However, the delivery of highly standardized housing units to customers with different needs, without considering their lifestyle and perception of value, often results in inadequate products. Mass customization has been pointed out as an effective strategy to improve value generation in low-cost housing projects, and to avoid waste caused by renovations done in dwellings soon after occupancy. However, one of the main challenges for the implementation of mass customization is the definition of a set of relevant options based on users' perceived value. The aim of this paper is to propose a method for defining value adding attributes in customized housing projects, which can support decision-making in product development. The means-end chain theory was used as theoretical framework to connect product attributes and costumers' values, through the application of the laddering technique. The method was tested in two house-building projects delivered by a company from Brazil. The OPEN ACCESSSustainability 2014, 6 9245 main contribution of this method is to indicate the customization units that are most important for users along with the explanation of why those units are the most relevant ones.

The understanding of customers' needs and preferences in housing is complex. In order to respond to this, housing companies should be able to offer a higher product variety while ensuring cost effectiveness. Mass customisation (MC) has been suggested as an effective strategy for balancing the fulfilment of clients' needs and at the same time keep costs and delivery time within acceptable limits. Several MC practices have been associated to Lean Production (LP), such as reducing lead time, increasing value by systematically capturing customer requirements, and increasing output flexibility. The aim of this paper is to identify a set of MC practices in housebuilding, discuss their underlying concepts and principles, exploring their connections to LP. The identification of common concepts and principles between LP and MC can support the definition of the MC strategy for housing companies and also the adaptation of best practices to different organisational contexts. Results are based on a literature review and a case study developed with a Brazilian house-building company. The main contribution is better understanding trade-offs between productivity and flexibility with the aim of improving value generation in housing projects.