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The construction industry is among the most successful and lucrative in any given country, city, or region. The fact that people will always need new homes and business spaces is enough to ensure prosperity and a continuous surge of customers, resulting in a competitive market with numerous construction companies battling for deals and partnerships. However, many believe there is trouble on the horizon for them due to the fact that more and more homes are pre-designed, eliminating the need for traditional construction workers and companies that hire them.
Prefabrication and assembling things well before they actually arrive at the site of the new building is the new way of doing things, modern, quick, and efficient. But it is really killing the industry that has been flourishing for centuries and if so, what can be done to stop this new trend? Would it be smart to stop it in the first place? To these and many other questions, you can find the answers right here in the article. What is more, be sure to check out patco.com in case you wish to learn more about pre-design homes and the construction industry in general.
What are Pre-Designed Homes?
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In order to better understand the subject matter at hand, you have to know more about these new types of homes. They are already largely in use in most European countries since such an approach to construction is more environmentally sustainable and friendly. If it is green and benefits the planet, it is the future. Simple as that. But is there more to it, and how does it actually help?
Right now, the situation in the world is dire in terms of workforce, job security, and available resources. The whole of 2024 stopped numerous industries from working as they wanted to or as they should, resulting in shortages across the board. Not only does this impact how many homes and business offices can be constructed, but also how quickly, efficiently and properly they could be erect. The old system was exposed for its weaknesses and people realized that they have not been doing all they can when buildings are in question.
The result is a wider adoption and more focus being put towards pre-designs. These homes are conceptualized, designed, and largely assembled in the factory, after which they are transported to the location where the rest of the work is completed. Fewer materials are wasted this way, things are safer, fewer people, machines, and processes are used, and yet everything is more efficient and optimal.
Moreover, simpler elements are used such as beams, columns, and wall elements easily manufactured and designed to be bolted with each other in a few easy steps. No need for materials to dry over time, teams of workers coming every day and working long hours at the site. The panel system comes with all the necessary utilities, insulation, cladding, and waterproofing. Designed and meant for easier transport and rapid assembly, it is extremely easy to erect a house once things get going.
It should also be mentioned that there is a high degree of customization available for such homes since you are able to pick and choose what you like based on the size of the land and your preferences. Floors, rooms, colors, and designs, everything is up to you.
Traditional Construction
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On the other hand, we have the classic approach to the problem of constructing new homes that involve half a dozen contractors working together, in different stages, towards one and the same goal. Rarely does a single construction company finish everything there is without employing other, third-party contractors? Usually the constructors themselves are only responsible for the home, without things like electricity, plumbing, sanitation, or even painting.
Then there is the problem of materials and transportation. Regular materials like concrete, metal and wooden beams, and all the machines necessary for their measurement, transport, and utilization can create too much work and too much waste on the site of the new home. In a modern world where we are trying to limit the unnecessary waste at every corner, this is not the best way of doing things.
Let us think about another issue of regular construction sites, which is the terrible noise and polluted air all around. There is nothing worse than a new residential building being built on your block. It means no sleep or at least numerous early mornings and impossible afternoon naps for a few months. Nobody wants that. For this and other reasons, the traditional approach to homes is no longer the best solution and people are realizing it.
What Can the Construction Industry Do?
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If the companies who are late to the modernizing party do not act quickly, they will be overtaken by time and by competitors who had not failed in changing with the trends. To answer the titular question here and now, pre-designed homes are not really killing the whole industry. They are taking over some parts of it especially with people who want their homes built as fast, clean, and efficient as possible. From this, we can conclude that private family homes are much more susceptible to the change than residential buildings or shared homes.
It is also safe to say that there will always be the need for regular, traditional, and classic construction as long as there is human civilization. Techniques and materials used have not changed a lot in their basic form. We still use wood, bricks, blocks, cement, concrete, and metal, and we will for centuries to come. It is only a matter of how we use it and whether or not we can change something and make it more efficient, safer, and cheaper on average.
With pre-designs and prefabrications, it seems that we have cracked the case. Now it is only a matter of wider adoption without cutting people from their jobs and taking extreme measures like completely turning to pre-designs. In many situations, this is still not the best approach. Through research and planning, it can always be determined whether or not pre-designed is the way to go if it makes more sense financially and construction-wise.
