3D Printing Technology

Concerns regarding ecology and health are influencing progress within the construction industry. Currently, there are more engineering solutions in connection with green building resolutions than ever before. Structural design is adapted towards new technological alternatives. This means that new possibilities are opening up. One of those new possibilities is 3D printing technology. Technology which is worth our attention particularly because of its versatility. Recently developed and worked on continually 3D technology may eventually become our normality.

First, of the two examples, we would like to discuss in terms of 3D technology within building industry is a 3D printed residential house in Russia, created by Apis Cor. Nikita Chen-yun-tai, who is an engineer and Apis Cor founder, while working on 3D technology, has focused on creating 3D portable printer which can be transported to print a building on site. He believed it to be a better option in comparison to other efforts in 3D printing technology, which at the time were focusing on printing separate modules off-site and assembling them on site in order to create a whole structure of a building. 3D printed residential house in Russia was accomplished by printing the whole structure on site in just 24 hours and finishing off by adding roof and windows afterward. The type of material used for printing was concrete.

Within building industry, there are believers in 3D printing technology who think of it as a potential quicker, cheaper and environmentally friendly solution in comparison to traditional building methods. In our previous articles, when we discussed the history of prefabricated buildings, we talked about their use as a quick housing solution in particular. We discussed pre-fabs; post-war prefabricated houses which were erected in large numbers in the UK. Modular buildings were and still are the quicker and cheaper solution. As a modular building manufacturer we are excited to find out more about different quick resolutions within the building industry and for that reason, we find 3D printing an exciting technology to keep an eye on.

The second example of 3D printed building we will talk about today is Mediated Matter group project called Digital Construction Platform created and worked on by Steven Keating, Julian Leland, Levi Cai and group director Prof. Neri Oxman. Mediated Matter is a research group working across different sections of engineering technologies including synthetic biology, computer science, design and ecology in order to create different type and size of objects and structures with a potential to enhance relation of natural and man-made worlds.

Digital Construction Platform which they created is a mobile robotic arm fitted on a moving vehicle in order to be able to print a structure of a building in almost any size on site. Researchers decided to use insulation foam to print a test structure in the shape of a dome. The type of foam which have been used is similar to those used in traditional building methods in order to be filled with concrete afterward. Finished structure was 50 foot in diameter and 12 foot high. It was completed in less than 24 hours. Researchers of Mediated Matter hope to be able to use this type of 3D printing technology in the future in order to create astronauts accommodation during space missions or in Antarctica. Other options for use would be in areas following natural disasters such as after an earthquake or tsunami, as a quick shelter and accommodation. Materials used for printing could be different, for example naturally found within the environment. This could include mud and dirt. By doing so, an environmentally friendly structure would raise, naturally balanced with local surroundings, created by saving and recycling materials already present. This approach would be useful for both space missions and areas of natural disaster. Digital Construction Platform could be operated with the use of solar power, making it even greater in terms of positive ecologically friendly solutions.

We are looking forward towards new technologies in hope for more advanced, healthier and greener future building solutions and we are looking forward towards progress which 3D printing solutions are offering. When developed further, and it is an ongoing research, 3D printing technology may be in use for rehousing, office accommodation or immediate shelter following natural disasters. If you would like to find out more about 3D printing projects which we discussed within the article, including photos of the structures, please follow links in the sources section below. Featured photo within the article is of one of our modular building designs.

Sources:

apis core (2017), available at http://apis-cor.com/en/about/blog/features-and-perspectives-of-3d-printing (Accessed January 2018)

LiveScience (2017), available at https://www.livescience.com/58156-3d-printed-house-built-in-less-than-a-day.html (Accessed January 2018)

Mediated Matter (2018), available at http://matter.media.mit.edu/tools/details/digital-construction-platform-dcp (Accessed January 2018)

Science Daily (2017), available at https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170426183028.htm (Accessed January 2018)

Closer to Christmas

Today, when Christmas is at our doorstep, we would like to talk about two simple ideas for activities to organize in your portable cabin. As discussed in previous articles, for us, the most important are values conveyed through Christmas. Values such as love for another human being, the importance of family and friends as well as the importance of life itself. Every year we are given the chance to recall those values. Commercialization of Christmas raises expectations for over the top decorations, gifts and food which equals in greater costs of Christmas related items. As a consequence, there is more stress associated with the idea of Christmas and attention driven away from values mentioned above. As a result, disregard of Christmas celebration is generated in more people every year. It means that if we do not stop raising those expectations, the chance of recalling values we all care about may fade away.

There is a possibility to stay on the relaxed and modest side during Christmas and hopefully lowering Christmas expectations and commercialization of it while still celebrating. Even when we talk about richness and elegance of colors while discussing Christmas decoration, we believe in moderation. It is your choice as a business owner and as a private person though.

While working on reduction of Christmas expectations and sustaining Christmas values at the same time, as a first idea for activity this Christmas we suggest supporting a cause. How will we go about it is important if we want to adhere to the idea of moderation. A fair amount of Christmas related anxiety is brought upon by substantial growth in spendings. Some of it is also related to the greater expectation of perfection and excellence during general Christmas arrangements. We recommend supporting a cause this Christmas while remembering to give your customers a free choice and no obligation in doing the same. Let your customers choose if they want to support it and make it ok if they don’t. Have a petition prepared in your portable cabin ready for your customers to have a look at and potentially ready for signatures and/or donations. An idea could be to support a local cause. Giving your customers free choice will reinforce the focus on values instead of raising anxiety and expectation over Christmas. This is why we recommend having a separate space within your office designated for information regarding a cause you are supporting. It could be located in the waiting area if there is one, with a chair to sit on and a quiet space to read about it. It is important to make it visually appealing and well marked. Try to organize it in a way so that people will not feel obliged to contribute but so that they will have an option to ask for more information or possibility to sign it there and then.

Our second idea for an activity to do this Christmas is something lighthearted. It is to create a handmade Christmas decoration. When it comes to participation, once again, it is crucial to keep activity accessible to everyone and yet with no obligation. Decoration we propose to create is an origami Christmas ribbon. By following link to free origami club website here, http://en.origami-club.com/xmas/ribbon2/index.html you will find instructions on creating Christmas Ribbon. There are many more designs available, a website is generally free to use. There are some restrictions in regards to copyrights but as long as you state origami club site copyrights and will not use their designs for merchandise, it is ok to use them. If in doubt, please find more information on origami club website here http://en.origami-club.com/site/index.html or feel free to contact website management via e-mail.

We believe in moderation and in bringing people together in order to keep Christmas relaxed and this is why we propose simple activity with low organizational costs. Creating something handmade is a lovely method to connect during Christmas in a modest manner. Whether it is together with your clients or with your work colleagues, creating easy to follow hand-made designs will hopefully enhance some teamwork and a friendly Christmas atmosphere. Our personal favorite is Christmas Ribbon design discussed above because of its simplicity and easy to follow instructions. We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a lovely Christmas and a beautiful New Years Celebration and we cannot wait to meet you back in 2018.

Constructing Modular Building in Few Steps

Starting from the process of decision making through manufacturing and finally constructing the building, here’s a quick overview of the construction process of a modular building which comes alive in few quick and simple steps.

1. After discussing your needs for a modular structure with our team, it is agreed what will be the chosen design of the building. Decisions are being made in regards to chosen color, shape and size as well as any additional requirements of the space, such as toilet, kitchenette, canopy and more. Ready designs may be chosen from our website and discussed with each client on a case to case basis. A client can also present us with his idea of the space by producing a quick handmade sketch and we will advise on what we can offer. To make sure the chosen building is designed to match your needs it is crucial that we are informed of all the requirements during this process.

                                                                                      

2. All individual modules are then manufactured under factory conditions. Once modules are pre-engineered, the building is ready to be transported.

                                                                                                           

 

 

 

 

3. Modules are then transported from the factory site to the building site by a lorry.

 

 

 

 

 

4. Once delivered modules can be put in place. Decisions on how modules are put together are dependent on the required size of the structure. Modules are positioned either end to end (creating longer structures) or side by side (creating wider structures). It gives many possible options to our clients. A modular building may be constructed from as little as one module (which will mean it will be relatively small) and up to as many modules as needed (creating larger structure).

 

5. Modules are placed in position with the use of a mobile crane or hi-ab. The construction period is much shorter than in case of traditional structures. Once crane positioned individual modules in place our crew will make sure all the modules are joined together in a safe way. The building crew will also finish off by fulfilling any additional requests form our client.

 

 

 

 

6. Examples of additional jobs could be installing a toilet, kitchenette, canopy or floor panels. Those jobs are done on site. After that, the building is ready to be taken over by our client.

 

Preparing for Christmas

After discussing Christmas branding and its possible destructive effect on our perception of Christmas we concluded with our belief into the values conveyed through Christmas and for that reason we desire to celebrate it as a business. If you agree, read on and you will find out that today our focus is of less of a serious matter – Christmas decoration.

Creating the right atmosphere within the workplace will result in a friendly environment for both employees and customers. If you are thinking of decorating your portable cabin to summon Christmas spirit some will argue to follow trends. Others will say, focus on the type of clients you have and organize your decoration to fulfill their needs. The type of clients visiting business should not be ignored. If there are different age groups or maybe families walking through the doors or anyone from within general public in fact or maybe a specific group of people, they all may need to be taken under consideration because they will have different expectations and different needs. Generally though, if you are not deciding to follow through with any special Christmas activities and want to keep your decorations subtle you probably do not need to overthink it. We believe that your clients should never be ignored and yet we argue that simple Christmas decorating could be down to your own taste. The reason is simple, most clients who appreciate Christmas will value Christmas decorations because decorations are pleasing to the eye and most importantly because decorations fulfill two major tasks; remind us of Christmas and spread the love – which equals in making us feel cozy and welcome. On the other hand, those clients who do not appreciate Christmas will either try not to pay attention to most decorations or may simply dislike them all. To that, we have one advise, if you would like to respect those particular clients but still evoke Christmas spirit you may want to keep your decorations subtle. It is really up to you to decide on that.

Our idea to decorate portable cabin for Christmas 2017 is to start early on with few decorative items. Each week or alternatively every couple of days there could be more items added. That way, the office is not overfilled with Christmas items too early and your spirit is built up slowly, day by day, in preparation for Christmas.

Our favorite color this year is gold. Interior design does not often include gold but as a Christmas color gold is your perfect choice. It means that if you like gold, Christmas is your perfect excuse to use it. Gold emanates elegance and value and could be a good choice for your Christmas decoration. There are some not impressive looking imitations of gold color and for that reason, it is important to pay attention to the hue of gold you are using. Rich and deep hues will work best.

Color match for gold could generally be up to your preference but it is worth remembering to not overdo it and if you are going for simplicity and elegance, choose one or maximum two other colors to match them with gold.

If you are a fan of tradition you could go for obvious color choice such as gold with red and green and decide to have some handmade decorations which would look lovely in those colors with the addition of some natural wooden items.

Wanting to create rustic charm you could use more colors. Decorations could be with the addition of wooden items painted in white, turquoise or any other color of preference with the use of crackled paint. Rustic looking wooden items like these can be found in many craft stores or sold online. It is worth remembering that for any color combinations you are choosing, adding a small amount of white together with gold will emanate charm and elegance.

Gold and white on their own can also be a successful and elegant choice of Christmas decoration. White is often associated with Christmas for obvious reasons such as a reference to snow and purity. Together with gold white will emanate elegance and perfectionism.

Finally our personal preference for color combination this year is gold with persian-blue. This color combination is elegant and rich. The deep hue of persian-blue is sophisticated, graceful and luxurious on its own. Together with gold, it creates a breathtaking duo. A hint of white could finish off this type of design satisfactorily.

Let us be honest, we love all Christmas decorations because decorations remind us of Christmas and no matter what color palette you choose it is not about trends, it is all about Christmas. 

Christmas and Branding

November is a time of year when business owners are starting to think of Christmas, no matter what their personal viewpoint on the subject is. It is simply the next important event on the calendar as soon as Halloween is over. There is a reason for it and it is usually related to either smart branding or based on sales, depending on the business. Other than sales of Christmas related items, there are other important aspects of focusing business attention on Christmas. No matter what age group or marital status your business clients are, creating inviting Christmassy atmosphere may attract customers attention or simply make them feel more welcome.

Is it ethically acceptable to treat Christmas as part of branding though? The answer to this question is not a straightforward one. It depends on personal believes into the meaning of Christmas as well as a personal viewpoint on what branding and advertising should be.

Branding generally represents values which are followed by your business. After determining how you want to be perceived as a business you can present it to your customers through branding. Branding then becomes a mirror image of your business values in your clients’ eyes in order to remember you.

It is important to not confuse branding with advertising. Other than businesses which are selling Christmas related items and are in the position of advertising those items, as a brand, you may want to pursue Christmas branding but not necessarily advertise Christmas.

Whatever your business values and rules are should determine causes you support. This should include the answer to the question of whether to treat Christmas as part of branding or not. If, as a business owner, you do not appreciate the idea of commercializing Christmas and treating it as part of your branding focus, you might still agree that positive working environment could benefit you as well as your employees and for that reason alone you may find it worth considering to acknowledge Christmas. You may possibly decorate your workspace within Christmas spirit or even engage in some sort of Christmas related activity.

You may also believe, just like we do, that Christmas values are worth to be celebrated and for that reason, treat Christmas branding as an appreciation of those values.

Choosing to believe that Christmas spirit is not broken by branding and also believing in the free choice of celebrating Christmas, we decided to celebrate it. There are positive ethical values maintained via Christmas celebration and we keep those values close to our hearts. Branding almost seems like a trivial issue next to true values of life such as love for another human being, family or life itself. At the same time though, if branding can serve as a reminder of those important values, it stands for a positive cause.

Still, we believe in ethical questions staying open. That relates to questions regarding the subject of Christmas branding as well as any other business related matter in fact. Businesses change and when circumstances change, ethical questions need to be asked once again, therefore we are leaving this discussion open.

Post-war Prefab Housing

Today we are going back in time once again to talk about history of prefabricated modular buildings. In one of our previous articles we spoke of one of the first records of this type of housing. It was created by Henry Maning and then transported to Australia where many more of those buildings were erected not long after.

Today we will discuss prefabs; prefabricated houses which were erected in great numbers here in United Kingdom after the Second World War.

After the start of the Second World War house building has stopped. Many of the houses where damaged or completely destroyed by bombings. This created housing crisis which after the end of the war needed to be resolved. Because housing was in great demand resolution needed to be quick and prefab houses could be quickly constructed to fulfill those demands. Soon after factories were no longer in need for military production, Emergency Factory Made Homes programme started. Factories would start working on producing required elements for prefab house construction in order to assemble as many houses as possible in the shortest possible time. As you can read on Prefab Museum website “There were four main types of temporary bungalows manufactured in great numbers in the UK after the war – the Arcon (steel frame), Uni-Seco, Tarran (both timber framed) and aluminium alloy AIROH B2 which was manufactured from recycled aircraft” (Prefab Museum, 2017).

Prefabricated houses were erected in many parts of United Kingdom as a temporary housing which was expected to last up to a decade. Many of those houses are still here today and people live in this type of housing around the country.

Regeneration programmes for residents of prefab housing estates are ongoing. In order to improve housing conditions many of the prefabs are being demolished and new houses are being built. An example of such housing could be Excalibur Estate in South London which is on its last phase of regeneration (L&Q, 2017).

There are many prefab lovers which regret demolition of this type of housing and who see prefabs as important part of our history and as museums full of memories.

Because of those people who believe in preserving prefabs, or at least in preserving memory of those houses, an online museum has been created. This online museum has been named Prefab Museum. To serve as an archive for prefab housing in United Kingdom this online museum started as a physical museum and later on has been moved online. Broad range of information about prefabricated housing and their locations, which you can find on their website, is notable. During visit to Prefab Museum website it quickly becomes clear that locations of prefab houses, still existing all over United Kingdom, is larger than one may expect.

Follow the link for Prefab Museum; http://www.prefabmuseum.uk/

Retaining memory of history of prefab buildings is significant as those buildings are an important part of our post-war history (Prefab Museum, 2017).

During post-war housing crisis prefab houses turned out to be the rescue. It is understandable that many of the people living in this type of accomodation feel nostalgy and regret when those houses are being demolished in the name of progress. While we are looking at the progress around us, we can still cherish remnants of our history. We can also remind our young generations to keep asking questions such as when?”, “how?” and “why?” we progressed to be the society that we are today.

Online Prefab Museum reminds us about it. Reminders are also existing structures of those buildings. Prefabricated houses have become a symbol of new beginings and of new hope for many people living during post-war times. For people living in those houses, it was the new start.

This history is something that is worth remembering.

Sources;

L&Q (2017), available at https://www.lqgroup.org.uk/about/media-centre/urban-regeneration/excalibur-estate/ (Accessed October 2017)

Prefab Museum (2017), available at http://www.prefabmuseum.uk/ (Accessed November 2017)

Colors of Interior

Because office space is the most frequent intended use of modular buildings, we would like to discuss hints for choosing the right color palette when dealing with the interior design of an office.

Colors generally divide into warm and cool. Using warm colors within the room will make it appear crosier and visually smaller. Those colors will imitate heat and energy. The larger the wall painted in a warm color the stronger the impression of warmth and coziness.

Cool colors will visually enlarge the room. The room will appear colder but also soothing and calming and those are often good reasons to use cool colors for.

When looking at the color wheel, warm colors are generally those areas of red, orange through to yellow hues. Hues of brown are also considered warm.

Cool colors are considered to be hues of green, blue through to violet. White, black and grey are considered to be neutral.

As a rule, it is not advised to use only warm or only cool colors. When using warm color as a base, it is good to add some cool colored details and vice versa.

Office space is often used to greet clients. Cool colors will make an office seem professional but if too many in use, an office will seem uninviting and cold. Hence a good rule for the office environment would be to use a base color which is either neutral or cool and add other colors which will be generally in warm or mixed hues of warm and cool colors to warm up space.

For the purpose of this article, we decided to divide colors of our interior design into three categories; base color, colors of details and finishing color.

Design Recipe; professional, refreshing and inviting office = one cool/neutral base color + two warm (or a warm and a cool) colors of details + (optional) one finishing color to give the space more edge.

When using a base color we are thinking of large areas such as walls, floor, ceiling and tables.

When using colors of details we are thinking of chairs, small carpet, picture frames or advertising material on walls, stationery items, lamps, small design detail painted on wall (lines, dots), maybe text with the name of the company or perhaps one wall designated to one of the colors of details while other walls stay in base color. Colors of details are at least two so it is great fun to play with the amount of those two colors when choosing items for the space (example; stationery items and lamps in one color while picture frames on walls and a carpet in another).

When using finishing color we are thinking of an accent, a cherry on a cake. It could be stationery item additional to those which are already there, it could be one or two design highlights (line or dot painted on a wall) next to those which are already there, it could also be a lamp provided that other lamps are in different color.

When choosing any hue as a base color, it is good to go for its lightest version as it will appear professional, fresh and inviting instead of heavy and dark. Colors of details may be chosen in different shades, darker or lighter, depending on preference:

White – neutral color. When used as a base color, it will appear clean, fresh and open. White will need quite a few items in other colors otherwise it may appear as highly sterile. Accompanied details in yellow + violet or green + red will create an energetic, inviting and refreshing atmosphere. In fact, it is enough to choose any two colors opposite each other on the color wheel and add it to white base color to create a good combination.

Light-grey – neutral color. As a base color for office walls, it will appear professional and serious. Items in colors of details will not have to be as many as when using white. Light-grey is very nice as a background for other colors because it reflects them back. Orange + blue or yellow + violet would suit as colors of details for light-grey (great finishing color here could be white). Choosing any two colors opposite each other on the color wheel and adding it to light-grey should be a good combination as long as one of them will be a vibrant rich hue.

Light-blue – is a cool and soothing base color appearing as calm and refreshing. Items in colors of details added to light-blue will need not to be too many if wanting to keep the professional and serious feel of the space. Adding yellow-green + red-orange as colors of details will break it down nicely (black could be good finishing color here).

Light-green – is another good cool base color. Light-green will create calming and inviting environment for both clients and employees. When using green, it is important to not overdo it with items in other colors. Good choice for colors of details when using green would be violet + orange.

Light-violetis also cool color. As a base color, it will also need small amounts of items in other colors. Good detail colors for light-violet would be green + orange (good finishing color for this combination could be black or white).

Our five favorite finishing colors for an office space are white, dark-grey, black, silver and gold. The most important rule to remember when it comes to finishing color is that it must be different than all other colors already used as well as it needs to be present in very small amounts. It serves as a highlight.

Therefore in case of white being chosen as a base color, it cannot be chosen as a finishing color.

White could serve as finishing color when base color was chosen to be light-grey, light-blue, light-green or light-violet.

Silver as a finishing color will emanate wealth, technology as well as elegance and gold will emanate elegance and wealth particularly when used with white as a base color.

It is worth to take samples of all five finishing colors and to visually check which one matches best to our design. When in doubt we could simply choose black or white as these are neutral colors and should match almost any design.

That will be all, for now, when it comes to colors of interiors. More to come on design hints and colors in the near future.

While Choosing Colors

After purchasing a modular building it is time to work on its interior design. Uncertainties and questions may arise in regards to deciding on colors or even the whole process of designing. If that is the case you may find this article helpful.

Choosing colors is very important when it comes to interior design, therefore, it is necessary to spend some time considering what type of space and atmosphere you would like to create. In order to do that, there are two great tools which can help you, color wheel and color schemes. Knowledge of those tools when working on interior design is a big advantage.

While deciding on colors for space it is helpful to spend some time by simply looking at color combinations. Keep looking at our color wheel while reading this article, in order to give yourself an idea of what colors are of interest to you and how do they match.

It is important to know how to use the color wheel in order to choose a color scheme for your ideal interior design. To do that it is worth to know the types of color schemes – remember to keep looking at the color wheel, the most important part of colors is you need to see them, not just talk about them theoretically but to look at them.

Colors divide into primary (“blue”, “red” and “yellow”), secondary (“green”, “orange” and “violet”) and tertiary (all other shades – which are created by mixing primary and secondary colors, for instance, “blue-green” and “yellow-green” are both tertiary colors).

It is important to say that our color wheel is limited when it comes to tertiary colors, for instance instead of having just “yellow-green” between “yellow” and “green” there could potentially be a whole range of hues created between “yellow” and “green”. That way you could create almost infinite number of hues to choose from. When starting, it is good to keep it simple.

Below you can find some typical color schemes;

COMPLEMENTARY COLOR SCHEME – this scheme uses colors which are opposite each other on the color wheel, for instance, “yellow” together with “violet” or “red” with “green”.

SPLIT-COMPLEMENTARY COLOR SCHEME – this scheme uses one color and its two complementary hues, for instance, “violet” together with “yellow-green” plus “yellow-orange” or other option would be “green” with “red-orange” and “red-violet”.

TRIADIC COLOR SCHEME – this scheme uses three evenly spaced colors on the color wheel, for instance, “blue” with “yellow” and “red” or “green” with “orange” and “violet”.

SQUARE COLOR SCHEME – this scheme uses four evenly spaced colors from the color wheel, for instance, “blue-violet” with “green”, “yellow-orange” and red” or another example could be “blue-green” with “yellow”, red-orange” and violet”.

ANALOGOUS COLOR SCHEME – this scheme uses three or more colors next to each other on the color wheel, for instance, “blue violet” with “violet” and “red violet” or as other option we could use “blue violet” with “blue” and “blue-green”.

MONOCHROMATIC COLOR SCHEME – this scheme uses one color and variation of its shades but with no other hues involved, for instance “blue” with “dark blue” and “light blue” orred” with “dark red” and “light red” (note: darker and lighter shades are not present on our color wheel here because you’re using the same hue, if you’re planning on using this scheme you can easily find color wheel which is divided into lighter and darker shades). 

It is important to say that some of the most successful designs are created by choosing the simplest possible option, for instance using complementary color scheme or split- complementary color scheme. That way you choose one color as the main color and you use complementary color (or two complementary colors in case of a split-complementary scheme) to accentuate with details. For instance, if your room is mainly filled with blue furniture you could place orange lamp together with some other orange details such as orange picture frames within the room (note: “orange” is positioned opposite “blue” on the color wheel hence it is seen as a complementary color for “blue”). This would mean you’ve chosen to use complementary color scheme in your design. Remember to not overdo it, the main color needs to fill the room and complementary color should be present in smaller amounts. It could be nice to experiment with a number of details though. You may find that you decide to add another color to give the space more edge; that way you would choose to go with a split-complementary color scheme by choosing to have one main color and two complementary colors. Experimenting enables to visualize the outcome. In other types of schemes such as triadic scheme, you may try to use all three colors in the same amount or again experiment with different amounts of all three colors.

If you’re still unsure about how to match colors together you may find paletton website as a helpful resource, just click the following link and have a look at what colors go together, you can choose one or more shades or hues. You may be amazed by how fun it can be to play with colors http://paletton.com/#uid=1000u0kllllaFw0g0qFqFg0w0aF

In our next article, we will discuss in greater detail what type of colors are considered good for certain types of spaces as well as discuss the importance of warm and cold colors when creating the feel of a space.

About History

This week we would like to talk about the history of modular buildings. As a commercial space, modular buildings may seem relatively recent pursuit, but as an accommodation, this type of buildings are here longer than you may realize. Prefabricated at one location and transported to another, this type of accommodation was used as a quick and cheap housing, depending on the needs at the time.

Today we will talk about the first record of such an accommodation which was started by London master carpenter Henry Manning. Advertisement for such cottages has appeared in 1837 in South Australian Record as Manning Portable Cottage. Manning prefabricated modular panels which could then be exported and put together in order to create an immediate house for people in colonial Australia. Through the 1840s and later, hundreds of Mannings’ buildings were erected in Australia. You can visit one of his buildings In Adelaide, Australia, which is there till now. All Manning buildings including the one in Aledaide were prefabricated in London. This particular building served as a meeting house and you can view pictures of it and find some more information about it at http://adelaidecityexplorer.com.au/items/show/109 as well as at http://www.adelaideheritage.net.au/all-site-profiles/quaker-society-of-friends-meeting-house/ . Its construction made of timber and iron pillars shipped on board of ‘Rajasthan’ ship arrived at Port Adelaide in 1940, was built in June and currently is considered one of the oldest religious buildings in the city.

Featured photo within the article is one of K C Cabin Solutions portable buildings but if you would like to see photos of Manning Portable Cabin please follow links within the article. As you can see, history of portable buildings is rich and we will be continuing this subject in the future to give you some more exciting information on modular buildings.

World Environment Day

Following up on our last subject of modular buildings being a possible greener option, we would like to take this opportunity to celebrate a special day with you. Every year on the 5th of June world celebrates World Environment Day.

This year’s country chosen as a host for World Environment Day is Canada and theme chosen for today is “Connecting People to Nature”. The idea behind this year’s theme is to invite everyone to get outdoors and into nature in order to appreciate its beauty as well as importance.

It is also to take the call to protect Earth that we all share together. World Environment Day is for everyone, everywhere. It began in 1972 and today it’s here again.

For more information on World Environment Day 2017 you can visit http://www.greeningtheblue.org/news/world-environment-day-2017-get-involved and in order to take part follow links on the website or alternatively have a look at following links, each for a different approach to be part of it http://worldenvironmentday.global/en/how-celebrate/explore-nature-you-love-worldenvironmentday , http://www.worldenvironmentday.global/en/news/connect-nature-world-environment-day-2017 , http://worldenvironmentday.global/ .

We believe in being greener and safer to our planet and we will follow this subject further. Today let’s celebrate World Environment Day and let’s all ask ourselves what can we do to be kind to our planet whether we think of building industry or just simply in our daily lives?

Is Modular Greener?

There are certain environmental advantages in using modular building construction in comparison to traditional structures which could be seen as large step forward towards using greener structures, especially currently when we, as a society, are trying to consider more in terms of the environmental impact we have on our planet.

Factory production equals less pollution

Production techniques are much less wastefull and production on site is less disruptive in comparison to traditional structures.
Because modular buildings are constructed on factory site, many materials are reused and/or properly disposed of before transporting building on site. This means that there is less harmful actions undertaken in terms of disruption to local environment which substantially reduces any possibility of pollution not only on site but also less impact on existing adjacent structures already there.

The use and re-use of steel

Framing used in modular buildings is made of steel. Steel is a strong and relatively light material, particularly in comparison to traditional structures. As a material steel does not deteriorate nor rot in internal use. Steel can be bolted, welded, have cut openings etc. This makes steel a very good building material. Above all that, steel is a recyclable material. A Large percentage of new steel production is with re-use of old steel. This means that even if building is deconstructed in the future, there will be minimal waste and steel can be recycled.

Less waste and less impact on site

The construction period is much shorter and this is the main reason of less of an environmental impact on site. Because modular buildings are pre-constructed units, it means less waste on site.
Labour requirements on site are not as large which means fewer workers and contractors and this equals with less disruption again.
Foundation for the building is minimized and there will be less waste produced and less disruption to local environment.
Another factor is relatively light steel construction talked about above which lessens the need for expensive heavy site equipment.
Finally, less noise is created during quick and relatively easy site construction. This creates less disruption on site and adjacent properties will be less likely affected by construction.

Less CO2

Modular buildings have good thermal insulation which in longer terms of usage means fewer requirements for heating and that leads to smaller energy use which equals with less CO2 emissions.

Deconstruction and/or relocation

Modular buildings can be reconstructed and/or moved from location to location with relatively low costs and certainly with less disruption in comparison to traditional structures. Waste would be minimized with the possibility of recycling most materials used.

All of the above proves that compared to traditional structures, modular buildings can be seen as a greener option.

Getting to know KC Cabin Solutions Ltd.

To give you a little bit more insight in getting to know KC Cabin Solutions we would like to share this short video produced at our factory site, giving you a glance on how we make it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn6PjSSq8Kg 

We would also like to introduce Chris, our company director. We asked him for a short chat.

KC Cabins Blog Crew; Hello Chris.

Chris; Hello.

Blog Crew; We would like to ask you few questions about modular buildings.

Chris; Go on.

Blog Crew; Can you tell us in few words, why would you choose modular building and not a traditional structure?

Chris; It’s quicker to build. Construction is strong and safe. It’s quicker and cheaper. Your best option.

Blog Crew; Can you tell us a bit more about construction of modular buildings?

Chris; Modular buildings are pre-engineered units which after manufacturing are transported from the factory to the building site and fitted together on site in order to complete the building. Those types of units are made with the use of steel framing which is light in comparison to traditional structures. This type of construction is strong and durable.

Blog Crew; Strong, durable and yet less expensive than traditional building structure?

Chris; That’s right.

Blog Crew; Can you tell us about modular buildings being quicker and cheaper to build?

Chris; For our modular building, you’ll pay approximately one third of the price of a traditional structure.

Blog Crew; And how fast it is to build one?

Chris; It depends on the job. Approximately speaking though, it’s 50% faster to build modular building in comparison to traditional structure.

Blog Crew; Thank you for this chat Chris.

Chris; Thank you.

Consideration of choosing modular building instead of traditional structure may be a difficult decision. Chris is confident in modular buildings being better option.

Why Modular Buildings can fulfil your needs for the space?

Our modular buildings are designed in order to fit the space to your needs. Whatever your idea for the space – office, storage, manufacturing or any other – at KC Cabin Solutions Ltd we will discuss it with you in detail in order to meet with your idea of the space.

We find series of catering units designed and manufactured for Kaufland, German hypermarket chain, as an interesting example of versatility of our modular buildings. These units are easily transportable from location to location. Units are also functional. With regards of the visual design and functionality of these units, every detail was manufactured for the purpose of catering unit including window solutions as well as space for advertisement. Each unit is manufactured exactly the same as part of a series and spread out into different locations around Germany.

As a client, during the process of designing, manufacturing and installing modular building of your choice, you will be advised on types of solutions available within the design in order to create perfect space fulfilling your needs.

We hope you enjoyed our realization idea of the week.

KC Cabin Solutions Ltd

Modular Building Specialists

Why Choose a Secondhand Modular Building?

If you’re considering installing a modular building, either on a temporary or permanent basis, then why not see whether a secondhand modular building can provide what you need? As the UK’s leading supplier of new and used modular buildings, we can think of many reasons why opting for a secondhand building may be better for you and your business.

Here are some of the benefits of taking the secondhand option.

Cost Effective

Given the laws of supply and demand, you may think that the secondhand modular buildings market may be no cheaper than the new buildings market. However, this is not generally the case, and significant savings are often available in choosing a refurbished rather than a new building.

A Focus on Sustainability

The green buzzword shouts ever more loudly in the ears of businesses nowadays. If you work in a larger company, it’s becoming increasingly standard to see the words ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ in an ever broader company policy. As the procurement manager, if you can save money and improve your division’s green credentials within the company, it has to be a win-win situation.

Fully Kitted Out

A new modular building involves a substantial initial cost and, once you add in the interior furnishings, security provisions and facilities, the price really begins to stack up. However, if you choose a refurbished, fully furnished secondhand modular building – where any damaged items have been replaced prior to sale – you can make huge savings on all those little extras.

3 Fun Facts About Modular Construction

1. Modular buildings are flexible and can be customised to suit your budget

Modular construction can be easily dismantled and re-assembled to another location.  In some cases, the entire building can be recycled thus reducing the need for new raw materials.  In the technical term of the word “flexibility,” any building — modular or traditional — is quite rigid. However, when it comes to budgets, time frame, specifications and location modular buildings provide a great deal of flexibility.

It terms of budget constraints, modular buildings will give you the option of renting temporarily or purchasing permanently depending on what you can afford. Modular construction companies can customise models to meet your specific requirements. You can also choose from a range of designs, which can help you stay within your budget. According to a report by the Building Industry Association of Philadelphia, going modular can reduce construction cost by 9 to 20 percent.

2. Quick construction does not compromise on quality

The controlled factory environment in which each individual module is built makes it easy to closely monitor the quality of materials being used. Even during the construction inside the factory, there are timely inspections done by trained engineers to ensure top-notch quality of the finished product. While assembling the building on-site, there are state-imposed codes and regulations to which the construction company must adhere. Combining quality construction with record timing, a modular construction company in China recently built a 57-story building in just 19 days.

3. Modular buildings are resource and energy efficient

One of the defining characteristics of modular construction is that it is a lot more resource efficient than traditional construction because it results in almost no waste of time, energy and material resources. Not only can modular construction reduce energy consumption during the building process by around 67 percent, it also reduces energy costs for its occupants.

Today, most modular buildings (homes, schools, hospitals and even prisons) are constructed with the sole intention of being energy efficient. This means using energy efficient glass for windows, installing solar panels and water heaters, and using geothermal systems instead of traditional HVAC systems are all a part of modular construction.

The newly constructed Sky City in China used approximately 200,000 tons of steel, and can withstand earthquakes of a magnitude of up to 9.0 on the Richter scale, as well as resist fires for up to three hours. This 220-story high-rise will house 31,400 people and will use just a fifth of the energy required by a conventional building.

New Modular Buildings – What Are They and How Do They Work?

You are likely to have come across the term “new modular buildings” quite regularly lately. However, as with many buzzwords, people often don’t know what they actually mean and become worried about asking about it, since they don’t want to come across as ignorant. Luckily, there are now numerous companies who specialise in new modular buildings and who focus specifically on keeping standards high and delivering their buildings on time every time. However, even if you find a company to construct your modular building, understanding what they actually are can still be beneficial.

What Are Modular Buildings?

Modular buildings are buildings that are constructed using individual modules. Each of these modules has been fully completed when it leaves the factory, which means the plumbing and electrics and even the carpet is already installed. You can then place the individual modules in any way you see fit, as you can also add elevators or stairs, for instance.
When a module has been completed to your specifications, it is dropped off at the location where you want it. The modules are then connected together, either by placing them side by side or by stacking them. Because each piece is completely unique, it will fit in any type of space size you have available.

The Benefits of Temporary Buildings

For any business, staying strong during turbulent economic years can be a trial. So if you see an opportunity to maximise your growth, you have to take it, right?

Problem is, for many businesses, this brings with it the need to grow physically in order to accommodate more equipment, more people and/or more products. So for businesses dependent on physical space to grow, is it worth taking the risk of buying or renting new premises, or building an extension on your current premises?

Because if that growth has a limited time frame and gradually fades away, you are left with unwanted space and a binding financial commitment.

It’s for this reason that many businesses are turning to temporary buildings as a solution to their spacing problems. So what are their main benefits?

The first benefit is speed. Since they don’t require foundations, temporary buildings can be installed quickly and efficiency – sometimes in as little as 4 days.

The materials required for temporary buildings are readily available, saving you time on procurement and logistics. Because they’re readily available, they’re quick to transport to site so you can save a significant amount on shipping costs, compared to materials used in more traditional constructions.

What’s more, if you no longer require the structure, they are equally quick and easy to dismantle and take away, with many suppliers offering buy-back options as an added bonus.

What Is A Modular Office?

If you’ve ever been in a situation before where you have found yourself struggling to achieve the space that you need, you probably already know that constructing an office from scratch is a daunting and worrisome building task that can bring horrifying visions of high costs, irresponsible contractors and unforeseeable weather related delays. However, there is an alternative available, and this involves using modular offices. Modular offices, also referred to by some as a prefabricated construction are a quicker and more cost effective way to get an office where you need it as soon as you need it there, lessening your frustration and wasted time.

 

In simple terms, a modular office is a construction that has been built in a factory using the same kinds of materials that are typically utilised for traditional construction. Instead of being built in one entire piece, the modular office is broken up into individual modules that can be quickly and effectively transported and erected at any site. In most cases, anywhere up to ninety percent of the office will be built within a factor, and this includes the walls, carpeting, ceilings and electric. Once the construction of these parts is completed, the modules are then assembled on site to provide a professional looking, functional office that is capable of being expanded should you find you need just a bit of extra room.

The Future Will Be Modular…

Modular buildings gained popularity just after World War 2, where there was a giant requirement and demand for speedy and flexible building methods. In this day and age, time is the most valuable things in our life. We almost demand things to be rapid and we expect the best possible solution in no time at all. This really is the big and main competitive advantage of modular construction in comparison to tradition building methods.

 
The huge difference between the two is that modular buildings construction only needs half of the time (in most cases 50% – 70% less time) than any traditional building method, in order to be constructed, transported and installed.
 
Modular buildings are mainly constructed offsite, in a dry and secure facility, under strictly controlled conditions, shielded from the weather, using the same materials (wood, concrete, and steel), design codes and architectural specifications as traditional construction methods.
 
Furthermore, the site preparation takes place whilst the modules are being manufactured and this can save a lot of time and money; especially with our unpredictable weather conditions where the traditional building process can experience great delays. When you consider that 60% to 90% of the modular construction is completed inside a factory, you have to conclude this results in a faster return on investment.
 
At the end of the day if the building looks like a building constructed conventionally, is designed to harmonize and blend with its surroundings, using the same building materials, but is done in less time, this has to be a successful project. Modular buildings are far from a temporary solution and for sure the future will be….KC Cabins Solutions!

Answering Those Modular Myths

“The buildings are low quality, temporary structures”

While this is the most important argument to address, up to a point it is also the simplest to answer. Some of the more drastic rumours would have you believe modular buildings are little more than hastily put together sheds that are barely safe for human occupation. Common sense would tell us that all buildings, modular or otherwise, share the same set of regulations and must therefore meet the same standards of quality.

“Modular construction is an unproven concept”

Often in the media, modularisation is framed as a new innovation in construction that could change all future building projects. This is also not accurate. The first recorded use of modular buildings was in the 19th century. If there was going to be a ‘modular revolution’, then, I think it’s fair to say it would have occurred by now.

“Modular buildings are all the same”

There’s no escaping the fact that modular buildings lend themselves to standardisation, and it is obviously more straightforward to manufacture identical units than a variety of different ones. However, customers are increasingly looking for buildings that cater to their specific needs and are quite understandably less interested in a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

This is why, at KC Cabins at least, most of our projects are bespoke designs catering to specific client requirements. Modular buildings can even be combined with grander architectural statements to make your building even more distinctive. That said, the building systems we have created are all based on tried and tested ideas, so in that sense I suppose all our buildings are all the same; affordable, flexible and high quality.