House in Blackburn
As a renovation project, this became the least interruptive to any project we have completed. Based loosely on our expandable house theory, we designed this addition to the house using prefabricated composite timber panels, and the last part of the project was to cut a hole into the existing corridor. We designed the extension this way so the client didn't have to move out. We worked with Timber Building Systems to create the panels for the project and then assembled the building envelope on-site in two days for floors, walls and roof. The roof plumbing was then completed in the same week, meaning the building was starting to finish locked up in under seven days.
Because we had designed the building to have such a minimal connection to the existing house, it had a tiny impact on the client. The kids went to school in the morning and came home, and a huge new section was added to their house. The connection between the original and new was in the form of a small corridor two meters long, 1.5 wide, that acts as a gasket between the two. Once this was connected and sealed to the original house, we cut a hole in the wall, finished the trim and plastering of the hole, and the two became one.
The benefit of prefabrication is enormous for a project's time frame and minimisation of time on site. To a degree, there is a cost-benefit, not that it is too much cheaper than the average construction cost, but that it is more quantified and controlled. To build a 120m2 house extension on-site in seven days was exceptional, and this method should be used more frequently for similar projects.