Traditionally, when it comes to modular construction, there has been a lot to like, but little to love.

The very things that make pre-fabricated, modular construction attractive to some – namely, the drastically reduced costs and building schedules inherent when using factory-built products – also serve to turn many others off. After all, along with the enhanced efficiencies of the mass production process comes a product that looks, well, mass produced.

As a culture, Americans seem to be almost naturally inclined against modularity. The archetype of the rugged individualist rules in this nation of E Pluribus Unum. A huge part of the all-encompassing American Dream – if not the major part – is the prospect of owning one’s own home. But when that home is identical to the mass produced home across the way, well, that dynamic individualism we’ve all grown up admiring and aspiring to can’t help but get muted to a degree.

But we sense a shift in popular attitudes in this country that may present an opportunity to the modular construction industry. The kinds of selfish individuality that crested during the “Me Decade” in the 1970s and continued throughout the 1980s and 1990s are seemingly on the wane.

Three-plus years of housing market turmoil, layoffs, declining wealth and rising uncertainty have conspired to make the prospect of homeownership markedly dimmer for increasingly larger segments of the population. What used to be a relatively simple matter of first choosing a home then arranging financing, has today become a decision marred by the uncertainty of fickle home values and the complexity and frustration of the 21st century mortgage market.

So, given the choice between not owning a complex, expensive – but individualized – traditional home; or owning a substantially less expensive, more efficient – but perhaps a little drab – modular home, we imagine many would, and will, choose the latter.

But the growing advantages of modular construction aren’t only apparent in the suburban or rural residential markets. Advances in design and construction processes are making pre-fabrication an increasingly viable option for urban, commercial developers, as well.

In New York, the developer of Brooklyn’s multi-billion dollar Atlantic Yards project is considering construction of a 34-story modular apartment block that would satisfy the project’s affordable housing requirements. The residential tower would be the tallest modularly constructed building in the world.

In Philadelphia, a new student housing project near Temple University is gaining popularity precisely because of its modular construction. Enhanced by modernist architectural touches like large, boxy windows and a stucco façade, the building looks anything but cookie cutter – even though it was essentially constructed with 88 identical boxes, like so many stacked Lego pieces.

Given its long-established advantages in efficiency, modularity perhaps is at its best in an urban setting. American cities have long balanced the convenience of urban life with the cost of urban living. But as the advantages of dense, urban centers become more pronounced – shared amenities are more efficient, carbon footprints are reduced and smart growth reigns – the need for a less expensive but more efficient housing model grows. Certainly, modular condo and apartment blocks situated near transit and entertainment centers seem to offer an effective solution for those willing perhaps to sacrifice a small amount of individuality in favor of convenience.

In Massachusetts, especially, we understand the inevitable pushback against modularity from the trade unions and associations that support the homebuilding and building trades industries. A good many of these folks are our readers, and their concerns over factory versus field wages, designs that lack creativity and workforce size on modular compared to traditional sites are all valid and worthy of consideration.

But as the cost of new development continues to rise, and as the homebuying and homebuilding processes grow more complex, it is a mistake to continue dismissing modularity as simply a niche industry.

The multitude of problems we face today deserve a multitude of solutions, and modularity should be seen as one of them.