Affordable, easy-to-build, and remarkably operational — prefabricated houses are trending in the architectural domain.
Today, with several technological advancements, you can consider going off-beat with a charming prefab house. In fact, the popularity of these structures is highly evident from a simple statistic.
In Australia, the prefabricated building industry has an annual projection to rise at 7.5% until 2027. So, the time to invest in these structures is appropriate.
It is crucial to understand their development stages to know more about these residential units. This article elaborates on the steps that contribute to creating these beautiful structures.
What Are Prefabricated Homes?
In simple words, prefab homes are residential structures built in a factory. Due to off-site development, professionals must conduct accurate planning for developing these units.
You can explore the following two alternatives in a prefab house:
- Building with modules
- Building with elements (panels)
If you choose the module option, the overall time to install these houses is less. On the contrary, building with elements offers versatility and flexibility in architectural design.
Hence, you have decent control over choosing an apt prefab home type.
Knowing Various Stages in the Development of Prefabrication Homes
The steps to build a prefab home can vary according to your architectural firm. However, most developers follow this generic procedure.
Ideation and Design
Any project requires a proper assessment of end goals and requirements. Similarly, prefab house developers consider the following aspects during the initial stage:
- Available space
- Number of occupants
- Floor area
- Budget
After noting these points, the team conducts a topographic survey of your location. This way, professionals can design the house considering the feasibility of construction.
The designing activities include drafting, concept development, calculating the strength of the structure, and other technical tasks.
Budgeting and Preparatory Work
After finalising a design as per customer requirements, manufacturers give an estimate of the following aspects:
- Foundation costs
- Structure
- Windows and doors
- Roof cover
- Miscellaneous technical installation
- Interior finishing
After fitting these facets into your budget, the team moves on to prepare the terrain. Site preparation is necessary for installing the prefabricated building.
Production and Installation
Depending on the size of your prefab home, the production time can range from three days to a week.
The manufacturers assemble metal structures following the design instructions. Hence, proper design is crucial to saving time during this stage.
After production, the concerned team ships the prefabricated building. The final installation includes the assembly of individual elements using fasteners. Finally, the workers prepare the frame and finish other interior tasks without delay.
Project Conclusion
In the last stage, you conduct a detailed inspection with the general contractor. This acceptance step aims to rectify shortcomings in the original design and requirement.
After a thorough analysis, you can move into the new residence confidently.
In a Nutshell
Prefabricated buildings save time and costs when compared with their traditional on-site counterparts. Notably, advancement in manufacturing processes and the use of hi-tech design software have refined their quality.
The development of these units begins with the ideation stage. Next, the contractor proceeds to create a foolproof design. After an in-depth design assessment, the budgeting and production phases require a shorter duration.
After the final installation, it is crucial to conduct a thorough inspection. To minimise the chances of significant errors, it is thus vital to choose a reliable architecture firm.