Will Prefab, SIPs, Modular Housing be the Future

[misher]

Please note that the below is an opinion piece.

https://www.vancourier.com/real-esta...ada-1.23194873

Construction costs in Vancouver are at an all time high. Costs also include the time it takes from starting to finishing construction, the taxes paid, the opportunity costs, etc. Prefab, SIPs, and Modular seem like they should be taking off as a result.

Prefab is quite attractive as it skips much of the construction needed in Vancouver. The largest downsides are the costs of transportation and the lack of customization. However, it possesses many benefits such as using a tested design, being built in an indoor environment (interior not exposed to the elements), possibility of being built where labor is cheaper, being built faster (indoor facility using a standardized build process), and possibly already have permits/designs pre-approved or at least quickened.

Modular is similar to Prefab except that its made up of modules that are connected together. In this case, units can be connected to form apartment buildings or townhouses. This allows for much quicker construction but I'd say the buildings are less well put together though I guess these deficiencies can be overcome for low-rise construction.

To be honest, I think there's huge potential for housing modules in concrete towers. With each module being a block that is then inserted between the concrete floors of the building by a crane skipping much of the work and allowing for construction to take place on the ground.

Structurally insulated panels are panels with insulation. They are seen as an alternative to framing as they are strong enough to build a house without a frame. There basically like lego. This allows for much quicker construction, better insulation, and reduced costs.


I think with our construction costs and time associated costs to develop rising we will see a massive rise in use of the above 3 methods. In particular it will be cool if they begin inserting modules into concrete towers like Jenga blocks. What do you think?

[fredinno]

Originally Posted by misher

Please note that the below is an opinion piece.

https://www.vancourier.com/real-esta...ada-1.23194873

Construction costs in Vancouver are at an all time high. Costs also include the time it takes from starting to finishing construction, the taxes paid, the opportunity costs, etc. Prefab, SIPs, and Modular seem like they should be taking off as a result.

Prefab is quite attractive as it skips much of the construction needed in Vancouver. The largest downsides are the costs of transportation and the lack of customization. However, it possesses many benefits such as using a tested design, being built in an indoor environment (interior not exposed to the elements), possibility of being built where labor is cheaper, being built faster (indoor facility using a standardized build process), and possibly already have permits/designs pre-approved or at least quickened.

Modular is similar to Prefab except that its made up of modules that are connected together. In this case, units can be connected to form apartment buildings or townhouses. This allows for much quicker construction but I'd say the buildings are less well put together though I guess these deficiencies can be overcome for low-rise construction.

To be honest, I think there's huge potential for housing modules in concrete towers. With each module being a block that is then inserted between the concrete floors of the building by a crane skipping much of the work and allowing for construction to take place on the ground.

Structurally insulated panels are panels with insulation. They are seen as an alternative to framing as they are strong enough to build a house without a frame. There basically like lego. This allows for much quicker construction, better insulation, and reduced costs.


I think with our construction costs and time associated costs to develop rising we will see a massive rise in use of the above 3 methods. In particular it will be cool if they begin inserting modules into concrete towers like Jenga blocks. What do you think?

No. Modular building has been around for a long time; it never catches on because

1. No one likes to live in a bland boring tower that looks modular; same reason why brutalist architecture died.

Newer buildings have less this issue, having better designs, but it's still very obviously 'blocks'.

2. These sections need to be transported by Truck to get to the construction site. The issue is that these segments are usually way too large to do that with- a floor is about 4-4.5m in width.
I couldn't find anything for Vancouver, but Toronto has 3.5m wide lanes.
https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/up....0_Jun2017.pdf

Also, this limits total length of the walls, making for small rooms.



3. Large towers (5+ stories) still need conventional support structures to avoid toppling over.

4. Legally, things haven't really caught up yet; for example, modular buildings have thicker walls and floors, increasing building height, and causing conflicts with FSR and building height mandates.

https://ny.curbed.com/2016/1/15/1084...ture-is-fading

Also:

Shipping or trucking in modules from far distances can also add extra time or costs to the project, and then there's a matter of storing them once in New York. "The more demanding thing [than transporting them] is how the modules are stored and choreographed at the building site," says Garrison. "They have to be in a regular queue so they can be lifted into place on a predictable schedule."

Plus, I mean, it hasn't taken over in China; it's not going to take over in Vancouver. It's really that simple.


House prices on Condos, Apartments, and SFHs have all plateaued in Vancouver.
You can bet that the prices will collapse the moment interest rates go up a percentage point, or a recession inevitably happens.

[s211]

I can see modular elements of units being a potential. I'm reading of new office building construction in the USA which is incorporating pre-built washrooms, which I think is a huge opportunity.

[misher]

Originally Posted by s211

I can see modular elements of units being a potential. I'm reading of new office building construction in the USA which is incorporating pre-built washrooms, which I think is a huge opportunity.

Any idea where I’d like to read up on this. I had this idea for kitchens, bathrooms, closets, etc all being prebuilt and inserted.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by s211

I can see modular elements of units being a potential. I'm reading of new office building construction in the USA which is incorporating pre-built washrooms, which I think is a huge opportunity.

As in conventional towers with prefab rooms? To my understanding, said towers are built by finishing the floors and windows, then adding the rooms.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by misher

Any idea where I’d like to read up on this. I had this idea for kitchens, bathrooms, closets, etc all being prebuilt and inserted.

They build cruise ships that way.
I would think, though, that it would limit the potential for renovations in future.

Regarding pre-fab generally, there are definitely applications - like rental housing and student housing where the resident isn't the owner so the flexibility of layout and for renovations isn't a factor.

[Alex Mackinnon]

I'd say it's an eventuality. In general services have been getting more expensive, but manufactured goods get cheaper. There has to be a crossover point where construction services have to be rationalised and replaced with pre-fab components.

The real question is can things like 3d printing concrete make traditional construction methods obsolete, and bump up the efficiency of in-situ construction? Precast segments also can get much of the way to being modular.

In my industry, precast concrete linings are being used in place of cast-in-place concrete and shotcrete due to time constraints and huge overhead costs. The materials are more expensive, but precast is less labour intensive.

[s211]

This is not the product I read about, but the concept is similar:

https://oldcastlesurepods.com/about/

What I'd read about was a new NYC skyscraper incorporating prefab washrooms in its construction. Can't find the article at the moment.

[Changing City]

Prefabricating service elements of buildings aren't particularly new in the UK. It makes things much quicker to build, but it doesn't necessarily cost less. The first really large applications I can recall were for Broadgate (over the Liverpool Street Station) and then the Lloyds Building. They were also used on the first phases of Canary Wharf, developed by Canadian developer Olympia and York. Their Cesar Pelli, SOM and KPF designed office towers and buildings had extensive off-site construction to allow them to complete seven buildings in just over 2 years. Construction started in 1988, and completed in 1991. The main tower, One Canada Square, was over 1.2 million sq. ft., and the bathrooms were all prefabricated and trucked from Bristol, and then delivered to site by barge, and moved into position on each floor using an 'air skate' to just clear the ground. The speed didn't help the building succeed, despite massive government subsidies, and O&Y went bankrupt in 1992.

They are still using prefabricated bathrooms in Canarf Wharf development - these days owned by The Qatari Investment Authority (with Chinese Sovereign Wealth Fund funding). The latest 35 storey residential tower at Wood Wharf will have 443 bathrooms manufactured in Somerset (a long way from London). They arrive fully completed with underfloor heating installed.

[Doodler]

Here's an article about the new AC by Marriott Hotel Nomad in NYC, that's using prefab for the tower portion. Its stated to be the world's tallest modular hotel.

https://www.boutiquedesign.com/proje...marriott-nomad