Metsa Wood Calls For Collaboration In Timber Innovation

by | Jan 3, 2018 | News

Modular construction, using timber as a key element, is a credible solution to fast and sustainable house building. However, Metsä Wood believes that more needs to be done in terms of sharing knowledge and innovation in wood construction to further advance the use of this material in mainstream construction.

In order to help facilitate this process, Metsä Wood has launched its Open Source Wood initiative at www.opensourcewood.com. Metsä Wood’s Executive Vice President, Esa Kaikkonen, explains: “Not enough knowledge about modular wood design and building is shared, so wood construction remains niche. There is plenty of innovation but it is difficult to find, so Open Source Wood is our solution. We believe that with open collaboration the industry can achieve significant growth.”

The potential of wood is undeniable and today, offsite construction has major aspirations. Prefabricated wood elements enable fast, efficient and environmentally sound design without reducing quality. Reports on the benefits of such a lean approach are compelling: In a study of companies that have applied lean construction methods, 84% report higher quality in construction and 80% experienced greater customer satisfaction.

The report also highlights that almost 70% of projects that used prefabricated elements had shorter schedules and 65% had decreased budgets. Timber prefab construction also reduces other inconveniences such as the constant unloading of building materials, as well as the amount of on-site waste and the need to transport it.

Innovation in the house building sector is key, and offsite timber construction could be key in achieving the high volume of housing required. Using new and innovative products like Metsä Wood’s Kerto LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber), homes constructed offsite can be turned around in a matter of weeks. Modern engineered wood products can be used for a variety of housing projects ranging from terraced and detached homes through to apartment blocks several stories high.

From Business Insider: https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/Metsa-Wood-Calls-for-Collaboration-in-Timber-Innovation-1012195818

California Company Combines Wood Technology And Modular Construction

by | Jul 21, 2017 | News

Silicon Valley design-build firm Katerra is using a technology-driven and full-services approach to creating prefabricated structures at a large scale. Based in Menlo Park, California, Katerra was started in 2015 by Michael Marks, Jim Davidson and Fritz H Wolff. Combined, the three men have decades of experience in the technology, manufacturing, real estate and private equity industries. In 2007, Marks served as the interim CEO at Tesla.

The design-build startup – which describes itself as a technology company – has about 60 architects on staff, along with 10 interior designers. The team is led by architect Craig Curtis, who formerly was a partner at The Miller Hull Partnership, a prominent Seattle firm.

Katerra’s overarching mission is to streamline the design and construction process while still providing good architecture. “Our goal is to remove unnecessary time and costs from the building process while also providing world-class design,” said the firm, which is one of the investors in Architizer’s online marketplace for architectural products.

Katerra believes it stands apart from other design-build firms because of its focus on utilizing technology and modular components to create large-scale multifamily, commercial and institutional projects. It also handles all steps of the building process, including site development, schematic design, fabrication of parts and onsite construction. “Through curating our own high-quality supply chain we can provide a fully coordinated design, much like what you would expect when buying a car,” the firm said. “By working within one fully integrated service model, clients no longer need to depend on multiple partners and vendors.”

The firm generally uses wood frame construction, with several upcoming projects featuring cross-laminated timber (CLT). “Katerra is aggressively pursuing CLT, with plans to help North America start using the material on scale with Europe,” the company stated.

From Dezeen: https://www.dezeen.com/2017/07/19/katerra-combines-technology-modular-construction-large-scale-prefabricated-buildings/