Nearly 800 families will be the next batch of beneficiaries of the government's subsidized housing program when they move in early next year. But theirs will be a bit different from other housing projects, the new homes in Baoshan district being prefabricated - using factory-made components and assembled on-site.

Completed in November, the two 18-floor structures, which cover a total gross floor area of 26,000 square meters, proudly stand alongside others built using conventional construction. The new buildings were produced by Shanghai Baoye Group Corp Ltd, a wholly-owned unit of Metallurgical Corporation of China Ltd (MCC Group).

"There is no difference between the buildings and the traditional ones in terms of appearance and functions, but the prefabricated ones are more efficient, environmental friendly and cost saving," said Ye Hua, chief engineer of Shanghai Baoye Group Architectural Engineering Company.