Prefabricated buildings - Low Cost Housing

By Yvonne Andiva and Torah Onyango.

Prefabricated buildings also know as modular buildings have been common over the past several decades and are common in instances where housing needs to be erected in short time or in remote sites.

This has made them popular in the construction industry where they can be used as temporary site offices, in the military and in the mining industry where they are used for housing workers and offices. Their use has also come into the spotlight as a possible solution to low cost housing needs in many African countries.

Several companies have come up with several innovative materials in order to make these houses more durable comfortable and livable over a long time span, this has increased their appeal and they are now used as dormitories, dining halls toilet and shower units as well as health facilities.

The most manufacturers in this field can offer supply, erection or even turnkey solutions to meet most needs. When selecting a possible supplier look carefully at track record and references to ensure that the product fits the bill. Especially take into consideration Africa’s unique climate conditions which call for more robustness and cost of course is always a consideration along with ease of erection.

Panelized Modular Buildings

TEPE Prefabricated Construction Inc. is founded in 1977 as a subsidiary of Bilkent Holding, operating in the areas of modular panelized prefabricated buildings, living containers, pre-engineered steel buildings and permanent prefabricated buildings. TEPE has realized many reputable projects in the fields of construction, oil & gas, mining, energy, military, humanitarian aid, education and health services.

TEPE Prefabricated Construction is a highly recognized and valued brand because of the reliability and quality of its products. The company is one of the oldest and best-known companies in its sector both in Turkey and in the surrounding geographical region. Having successfully completed projects in many different regions of the world, including North Africa, continental Africa, Middle East, Russia and CIS countries, the Balkans, Asia, and South America, TEPE possesses the experience, know-how and skill to work with companies to meet various standards.

TEPE Prefabricated Construction is a highly experienced supplier of prefabricated buildings with various and large-scale EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) projects performed worldwide.

Panelized Modular Buildings are designed to stand all kinds of climatic conditions. Thanks to being demountable and expandable, these buildings can be used over and over. Their bolt-nut connections and light construction allow them to be easily assembled. These buildings can readily be shipped to anywhere in the world.

The panelized buildings have several advantages which include; Long service life, Demountable, Expandable, Easy to assemble, Designed by keeping all kinds of climatic and seismic conditions in mind, Re-locatable, Nut-bolt connections and Easy to transport.

Tepe Prefabricated Construction offers its customers a standard product line based on its rich experience. Furthermore, it also has the substructure and knowledge required to render turnkey services from preliminary projects to final application depending on the characteristics of each and every project.

Passive and energy efficient houses

Company GEBCO is an important producer on polish market for passive and energy efficient houses, by German technology of heavy prefabricated wooden constructions. They are responsible for production of high quality ecologic and energy efficient houses, characterized by modern and futuristic architecture. Use of their services represents a wonderful opportunity.

House construction factory, of the energy efficient houses – GEBCO represent a modern architectural and technological solutions, based on deep traditions and passion to build prefabricated houses out of wood.

Synonym of modern and energy efficient house is adaption of the most functional and newest technology of production – prefabricated houses in wooden frame fulfill these predispositions. Constant energy growth costs in different kinds require more effort for its minimization. In some sense, this effort starts at the planning stage of house construction. Therefore, knowledge of house construction and choice of technology has significant importance at the building stage. Company GEBCO rotted in construction of prefabricated houses in wooden technology delivers highly energetic houses that creates hard to accomplish – climate and unblemished house line.

Company GEBCO doesn’t have their own base of projects limited by shape or size. They believe that everyone deserves to have a unique project, according to their needs, functional and esthetic preferences – that’s why they offer their clients house projects from the most prestige architectures in Poland. Everyone who purchases their house with them receive chosen projects from one of their partners for FREE. They adapt production to our customers not the other way around.

Quick Garden Ltd UK is involved in selling log cabins, summerhouses, garages and gazebos online. All their products come as DIY kits which are easy to assemble following the assembly instructions they provide. The products they offer could serve multiple functions: summerhouses, guest houses, play houses, home offices, camp houses, bathhouse, a place to store equipment or any other stuff etc.

Their wooden sheds, log cabins and gazebos not only look great and bring out the best in any garden, but they are terrifically affordable.

They are all made of certified Nordic pine which is a natural guarantee of quality and longevity. All of their products are carefully designed so they are easy to assemble and both are classic-looking and their main advantage is that they offer high quality products (made of slow grown Nordic pine/Scandinavian spruce) for a competitive price.

Conport prefabricated structures

Conport Structures Ltd buildings have been used all over the world since 1965, with a continuing history of innovation. They can be permanent or temporary and can be moved from site to site. In the UK they occupy a niche for buildings which need to be erected for education quickly during the summer holidays, and where claustrophobic cabins are best avoided.

Conport prefabricated structures are based around four main product lines, each of which has been optimized to serve a particular market need.

Conport buildings are stressed skin steel buildings for housing people, and designed for transport to remote areas, they have been asked to produce many different solutions for prefabricated building requirements.

Examples include: Conport V-Span: Buildings up to 22m span using only lightweight foldline members in the roof. Conport Coolspan: Buildings up to 20m span using cold formed portal members. Conport Panel buildings: Insulated buildings for site camps and offices. Conport 21: Buildings developed for the Haiti earthquake.

They have been making Uniports in the UK since 1965, having taken over from Alfred Booth & Co, who invented them in 1948. Tens of thousands have been erected – in Arctic Canada, in the Kuwait desert, in the African jungle.

Uniports can be erected in a couple of hours by unskilled labour using box spanners. They can be dismantled and moved time and time again. All parts can be hand carried. Uniports can be extended into ovals or linked with tunnels. They can be insulated and partitioned and they are rot proof, impervious to insects and non-inflammable.

Uniports are also available in rectangular format mono pitch or dual pitch, in various spans up to 6m.

EUROPA’s Modular Buildings

EUROPA PREFABRI is a leader Spanish company in the innovative sector of the prefabricated construction industry. With more than 20 years of experience, they are specialized in design, manufacture and installation of modular buildings for numerous and important clients, in Spain and abroad.

They can be used as prefabricated buildings, portable offices, and work camps for minery and construction, schools, medical centers, Telecom shelters and for temporary or permanent constructions.

They modules are dismountable, that allow the transport them in Kit (Flat Pack), in maritime container or trucks, a mobile solution for temporal projects. The modular construction is currently a great space solution for immediate uses.

Thanks to the great versatility of modular construction, they can design and manufacture modular buildings adapted to the specific needs of clients, by the assembly of modules. All their modules are attachable and stackable. By this they can achieve strong three-storey prefabricated buildings in a short period of time and offer competitive prices. They study and examine your project, adapt the designs to their client’s needs in order to offer the solution required.

Europa offer turnkey solutions: apart from their modules, they can offer all the material needed by our client: generator, household appliance, furniture, refrigeration material, kitchens and even laundries.

CONTAINER HOMES NET

They build the containers to suit what the client want so any design you like and suppliers and manufacturers of container homes, and would like to offer you great deal on 12 meter and 6 meter units.

Being part of the world largest producer of shipping containers, so each unit is purposely built to suit your needs. They could talk more about your needs when you are ready to do so in the meantime, here is some info for you.

All products comply with the current standards and regulations. There is very little preparation needed to deploy the units, Products are a plug and go and just add water. They can produce any type of unit to suit your needs. They aim to supply a customer with the best product at the most competitive price. All the electrical is to Australian standards and is ready to plug in.

They also do have a solar system at an extra cost. The only thing that you would need is the furniture, unless you need us to supply as well. They can arrange the transport to your site at cost once we have established the distance to be travelled. Included in the units is as the following. Timber floating floors, tiles to floors and walls in wet areas.

Kitchen with induction Hot plate, combination microwave, range hood, sink, Flick mixer tap, electric Tankless instant Hot water system, reveres cycle air condition, 24 down light for the 12 meter unit and 12 for the 6 meter unit. And 8 power points, External light to the openings, fold down Deck with a fold up canopy at each entrance including double glazed glass sliding Doors. There is a built-in cupboard in each bedroom.

The walls are insulated and lined with similar materials to that of a home, with your choice of colors. They can change the design to suit your needs. They have delivered a unit to Orroroo in South Australia for a client who wrote the following, and is happy to show you the unit if you decide to view it. While it was being built I had been sent some pictures of the house and it looked OK but when it arrived I was stunned. It was great and far exceeded my expectations. It is really comfortable. There is a compact easy to work in kitchen, and a neat bathroom with a shower, hand basin, a toilet with a soft close lid, exhaust fan

LINWOOD HOMES

Since 1968, Linwood Homes has been one of the largest brand name suppliers of exceptional custom homes in North America. They provide site specific design and the right combination of building materials and technical expertise. Please see the attached document entitled “Linwood – A Better Way to Build”. This document outlines the benefits of working with Linwood Homes.

There are a number of important benefits of working with their proven system. These vary a little depending on circumstances but all include the fact that you get a site specific design which takes advantage of natural features of your property and also minimizes the cost of overcoming problems. You get a wide choice of quality materials that have been carefully researched to give you the best possible combination of price, performance and appearance.

Linwood has an extensive design collection consisting of over 300 standard designs in a wide variety of sizes, looks and floor plans, all available on their website at www.linwoodhomes.com. All of their designs can be customized or modified to suit your property, budget and lifestyle needs.

Linwood Homes is not a builder but they do help you with all aspects of home building. They supply design, working drawings and a complete structural material package backed up with extensive technical expertise. Homeowners can decide how much involvement they want in their project. The Linwood home package gives them complete flexibility. Homeowners can choose to build the project themselves, manage contractors, suppliers and sub-trades, or let professionals manage and complete the project. Linwood homes have been successfully built using all combinations of homeowner labor, management, and/or professional help.

They specialize in helping you find a design that works for you and meets your budget requirements. If you’d be so kind as to answer the questions above, I’ll be happy to put you in touch with the expert Designer and Materials Consultant for your area that can best assist you with a rough building cost for your project

LIVINGHOMES

They build homes created by world-class architects, which feature warm, modern design, functional amenities, and great price value. Their homes include natural, non-toxic and sustainably-derived materials; and they’re made in specially equipped factories that ensure unsurpassed quality, lower construction cost and waste, and shorten schedules.

The result of all this: healthier, happier homes that have a dramatically smaller ecological footprint than most new homes. The first Livinghomes, designed by Ray Kappe, FAIA was installed in eight hours and was the first home ever certified LEED® Platinum by the United States Green Building Council. Since then, they have built more Leed Platinum homes than almost any other design firm. They’re proud of this.

They currently offer three lines of single and multi-family homes by Ray Kappe, Kieran Timberlake, the AIA 2008 Firm of the Year, and designers at LivingHomes. They recently introduced their C6 and CK series, which are both their most affordable LivingHomes and they feature their most comprehensive environmental program! LivingHomes are available in standard or customized configurations to builders, developers and individuals.

RAL HOMES

The RAL Building System is a new approach to housing for all people with the minimum of fuss. The kit homes are original in design, Australian made, cost effective and packaged easily for kit home distribution without complications.

Basically, the System involves prefabricated structural panels being bolted together to form a series of segmented and intersecting arches to make a house of varying & infinitely expandable size. The highly attractive internal appearance with intersecting arches is complimented by natural light from large windows. As their sizes are consistent the RAL Modular System appears. The interior is 12mm waterproof Structural Plywood and the exterior is clad with pre-curved Color bond Steel sheeting.

Features for RAL homes include: assembly manual and video with each kit, build on any site, timber or steel platform or concrete slab, choice of 20 color bond colors, customize floor plans to your taste. modifying their designs or yours, is trouble free, cyclonic wind loading of up to 55 meters per second, energy efficient design has a triple layer of insulation – demonstrated in excess of r4.0, high bushfire protection with leaf free gutters, internal air volume of RAL is less, therefore a saving on heating and cooling costs. see assembly for dimensions and large sash less end windows provide excellent cross ventilation and natural light just to mention but a few

Office cabins

CONTAINEX, a part of WALTER GROUP, is a totally independent, private, family-owned business from Austria, founded in 1980. Over 50.000 containers and modules are sold every year in Europe and Africa. Additionally, CONTAINEX products can be hired all over Europe, either directly or through trading partners in specific countries.

In Africa, they aim on the emerging markets of Nigeria, Libya, Congo, Angola and Ghana. They deliver office and sanitary cabins, as well as modular accommodation facilities for operating customers in Oil & Gas and Energy sector. Among their satisfied customers are leading companies in Petrochemical and Construction industry. Their product serves multiple purposes – functioning as Camp accommodation for Total in Nigeria, Office facilities for Arcelor Mittal in Liberia or Site office for VAOS in Libya. In the last years, they have established a net of trading partners in several countries of Africa, dealing with and offering a European quality product, setting high- class standards in the countries among Africa.

Their office cabins match ISO dimensions, making it easy to transport them. They consist of a robust steel frame and interchangeable wall panels and they come with many advantages; energy efficient sustainable solutions, Multi-storey buildings, Individual open-plan layouts, Temporary or permanent buildings, High quality insulation and Quick installation and nationwide coverage.

Modular buildings uses:site offices, sales offices, storage rooms, health and medical centres, classrooms, canteens, media centres, military camps, first aid rooms, nurseries, laboratories, anti-vandal units, toilets and washrooms, marketing suites, show rooms, changing facilities, drying rooms, community centres, clubhouses, oversea camps, refugee camps and many more