Did You Know? Portable buildings have been around for nearly 200 years?

When we think about portable buildings today, it's easy to picture a modern site office or modular building.

But the idea of building something away from its final location and then transporting it to where it's needed goes back much further.

One of the earliest well-documented examples dates back to 1837, when London carpenter Henry Manning produced what became known as the Portable Cottage. It was made in sections so it could be transported and assembled at its destination.

The idea soon developed here in the UK.

By the mid-19th century, British manufacturers were commercially producing prefabricated buildings, including corrugated-iron buildings. These weren't just houses — they were made for various uses, including warehouses, schools, halls and other non-residential buildings.

So portable and prefabricated buildings have actually been helping businesses and communities create extra space for well over 150 years.

Today's buildings have significantly evolved from those early prefabricated structures. Modern portable and modular buildings can be designed for everything from offices and welfare facilities to classrooms, healthcare, manufacturing and specialist commercial uses.

But the basic idea hasn't really changed:

Build efficiently, transport it and put it where it's needed.

And that's a pretty excellent idea nearly 200 years later.