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Industrialized Housing and Universal Design

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Modular construction is a trend only likey to grow. There are already a number of companies in this space. and in modular housing the building process is completed in a factory environment thus eliminating hold-ups due to weather. There are many advantages of choosing a home built within this environment as trades are working on a number of homes at one time on one site in a controlled environment. There is no need to worry about when the builder or electrician or plasterer is turning up as the first time you will see your new home is in a near completed state. The home leaves our factory almost complete with all plaster, tiles, cabinet work, external cladding, roof, electrical, plumbing and painting etc completed.Factory-built modules are transported and assembled onsite and typically placed on full-depth basement foundations. Modular houses are subject to the same codes as site-built homes as it involves on-site construction processes.

In other housing processes, prefabricated panels are often used for walls, floors, and roof assemblies. Manufacturers have developed approaches to interlock the panels together so that the joints are air tight. With panelized construction, the outer walls can go up in as little as one day leaving a weather tight home for the trades to work in focussing on interior completion.

Engineered wood products perform better than traditional cut lumber. They are less susceptible to warping, shrinking, and twisting, and they reduce the impact of residential construction on our forests.

Other housing components that are commonly prefabricated include:

  • window assemblies,
  • door assemblies,
  • cabinets
  • kitchen and bathroom pods

According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation the "most common forms of factory-built housing are referred to as manufactured and modular homes, and it has the following strengths and weaknesses.

 

StrengthsChallenges
Shorter on-site construction time Larger capital/high fixed costs vs. site-built houses
Precision construction and quality control Transportation freight costs and restrictions
Potential for improved energy efficiency  
Reduced waste generation and improved
reuse-recycling possibilities
 
Easy to disassemble and reconfigure  
Labour cost advantages and bulk buying power  
In-house design and development  

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