Benefits of Off-Site Construction
Prefabrication makes construction variables less unpredictable, more efficient and cost effective
Building a section of a structural building element such as a wall or roof involves a lot of repetitive tasks, but in the field this repetition can take many shapes and forms depending on weather conditions, the organization and setup of the work area, and the condition of materials due to material storage eccentricities with each site.
Prefabrication makes a number of these variables not only less unpredictable, but in many cases as many times more efficient. Additionally,
- The quality of the equipment used is greater, from simple mitre saws to pneumatic nailers and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) cutting systems, because the investment can be protected by keeping the equipment in a climate controlled environment and limiting the movement of this equipment
- Human error is reduced, and greater automation is possible
- Inspections are more consistent and quality is more readily verifiable
- Material use is more accurate and efficient due to all cut lists being generated by a CAD model.
What is "Off Site" Construction?
Frankly..... It's Just a Better Way to Build
Off-site construction is a large category of building that involves any process that is not performed on a construction site but in a facility not connected to the site. Conditions are often climate-controlled, and repetitive processes such as framing walls, insulating, and installing other layers of the building enclosure can be accomplished more efficiently.
While the fabrication of windows and doors could be considered an element of off-site construction, today, the term usually applies to the fabrication of components in three distinct categories:
Panels
Where wall, roof, and floor panels are constructed and, in some cases, insulated and wrapped in unique air and weather-protective membranes
Modules
Complete six-sided boxes are built in a factory, often with fenestration, services, and finishes installed. While these modules are limited by the size restrictions from various transportation modes, multiple units can be stacked and configured to accomplish a larger building design.
Kits
Created in North America in the early 1900s, the kit home was an attempt to package all the materials required to build a house and deliver them at once so homeowners could construct their own homes on-site. While modern innovations to the kit home exist, these products have been largely discontinued due to a variety of factors.
Off-site construction today happens in warehouses as small as 1,000SF, where panels are fabricated with standard site construction tools, simple workstations, and little integration of computerized design and cutting tools, to those over 100,000SF operating multiple production lines, utilizing computerized cutting, insulating, and framing systems, and fabricating panels, modules, and even kitchens, bathrooms, stairs, and integrated HVAC systems.
Some of our favourite pioneers in building ecologically minded homes with off-site construction methods include Baufritz, which operates in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and the UK, and Bensonwood, which operates in the northeastern United States.
Ready to Get Started?
Let's discuss your project and see how we can help bring your vision to life. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
Benefits of High Performance Construction
Energy Efficiency, Comfort, and Health
Energy efficiency, comfort, and health are inextricably related, and are three of the most obvious benefits that occupants of a high performance building immediately notice. In fact, it is often because a building is more energy efficient that it naturally – and as a matter of course – more comfortable. This is because energy efficient buildings address air leakage, insulation, and thermal bridging as the three top contributors to heat transfer through building envelopes.
Addressing air leakage means eliminating drafts by making the building envelope airtight, in order to stop conditioned air from leaking outside. By nature of this air control, they also provide better air quality by controlling where air enters and exits the building, through filtered heat-recovery ventilation units. And because of this better air quality, they affect long-term occupant health and comfort by reducing the development of allergies and asthma in building occupants. When drafts are eliminated and good quality windows are used, all of a sudden sitting by a window on a cold winter day isn’t so uncomfortable, and the usable area of a home becomes larger. Did you know that an estimated 40% of energy loss in modern homes is due to air leakage?
