HOW to PrefabFebruary 2019

urbanframe 2 House

PROJECT INTENT

PROJECT CHALLENGES

90k 110k100k 120k 130k 8m 12m 14m10m 16m

UrbanFrame 2 Living, Dining and Kitchen

UrbanFrame 2 Exterior

(2018 exc. GST) (whole project)

The UrbanFrame 2 (UF2) has been developed over the last 12 months by the recently established business, UrbanFrame. UrbanFrame are a New Zealand (NZ) owned business who design, build and deliver pre-constructed and pre-consented homes.

The UF2 is one of the five dwelling solutions that have been developed to suit various living situations. It is designed to suit NZ’s environment and values through its use of high-quality, recyclable, and locally-sourced materials. The UF2 offers a code compliant, pre-consented, volumetric home that is delivered to site within four weeks of ordering. The construction of the foundations takes an additional two days and it is up to the homeowner to arrange the connection of services. UF2 uses light-gauge steel framing and trusses that are developed and manufactured by Frametek, member of PrefabNZ Member, Metals New Zealand.

UrbanFrame have engineered the UF2 for NZ’s climatic conditions, with consideration of very high wind zones, moisture

levels and snow loading. The UF2 has been designed to meet the National Association of Steel Framed Housing (NASH) standards.

The UF2 faced challenges associated with maximising the floor plan and minimising the building’s footprint. To address this challenge, three-dimensional (3D) modelling was adopted to pre-design 100% volumetric joinery for all interior storage, kitchen and bathroom fittings. The units were designed and developed alongside local design and manufacturing company Elite Kitchens. 3D modelling was used to ensure accuracy of fit prior to manufacture.

Contractor:

Architect:

Status:

Floor Area:

Prefab Type:

Products Used:

UrbanFrame

KR Architecture

Anthony Van Ruth ISD Engineering

Completed November 2018

53m²

Complete Building

Steel subfloor with timber joists, light-gauge steel frames and trusses, Colorsteel roof and wall cladding by New Zealand Steel (PrefabNZ Member) + Metals NZ (PrefabNZ Member), plywood internal linings

2018

New Plymouth

This complete building project turns focus to the environment by allowing material sizing and layout to drive its design - the sensitive consideration extends to local material sourcing to reduce the dwelling’s carbon footprint.

COST (NZD) TIME (months)

Structural Engineer:

HOW to PrefabUrban Frame 2

REFERENCES

Hamish Simpson (UrbanFrame). Personal Communication with Eleni Timoteo. December, 2018Images: Courtesy of UrbanFrame

For more information on this project visit website

Wastage associated with the plywood ceiling was reduced by 15%, another advantage of 3D modelling and prototyping.

The success criteria for this project was to develop a prefabricated, cost-effective, high-quality home that would stand out in the market for its innovation and design aesthetic. UrbanFrame aimed to achieve this by using high-quality NZ materials, such as Colorsteel and Axxis steel framing and trusses.

Cost efficiencies were created by excluding internal architraves and by opting to polyurethane the walls to bring out the wood grain.

The UF2 building elements were each 3D modelled and prototyped before construction began in the factory. This method aimed to optimise material use in all instances and ensured quality assembly on-site.

Experimentation during the prototyping phase was conducted to refine the methodology and aesthetic of each building element. This enabled the refinement of each element and avoided wasting resources and time. The prototype for the window trims was changed three times before the right look and fit was achieved. Additionally, experimentation was undertaken to optimise the use of quality materials. For example, the window design and placement was driven by the size of the Colorsteel sheets to ensure minimal wastage.

All building products (excluding the plywood) were sourced from suppliers within two kilometres of the factory site, removing freight and shipping costs and reducing the building’s carbon footprint.

The UF2 complete building is designed to be delivered to site on a house-moving truck. Once at site, the assembly of the UF2 is limited to the connection of services and fixing to the pile foundations. UrbanFrame hope to develop their complete building typology to a panelised delivery option in the future, which could open new market opportunities.

The prefabrication benefits for the UF2 were the decreased time and labour costs, and the sheltered working environment of a factory. Factory construction allowed fabrication to continue without interruption, this meant production processes did not need to be rushed.

Offsite construction significantly minimised labour costs and increased the speed of build for the UF2. The prefabricated methodology has allowed for UrbanFrame to supply clients with design decisions, control and full price transparency. UrbanFrame’s feedback for the UF2 project has been extremely positive. Its open home was launched in New Plymouth in November 2018. Within one month UrbanFrame had ten expressions of interest and sold three new homes. Interest from overseas clients has also occurred through the UrbanFrame website.

MATERIAL

CONSTRUCTION

BENEFITS OF PREFAB

FEEDBACK

UrbanFrame 2 Bedroom 1

UrbanFrame 2 Bedroom 2

UrbanFrame 2 Front Porch

www.urbanframe.co.nz

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