Construction firm McAvoy Group has built a house in one day using techniques that could radically change the mix of off-highway vehicles required on construction sites.
The modular housing solution was designed and engineered off-site in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, with contributions from Queen’s University Belfast and Todd Architects and is applicable to multi-story apartments for a variety of housing requirements.
The 95m² steel-framed prototype house has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and the floor is made from recyclable material instead of the energy-intensive concrete traditionally relied on. The innovative floor construction offers good thermal performance and acoustic properties.
Safer and faster
The two pre-tiled roof units were produced at McAvoy’s factory making it a safer and faster process, while also minimizing work at heights and in poor weather conditions for builders.
David Clark, head of manufacturing and innovation at the company, said, “We wanted to give developers, housing providers and lenders the opportunity to see at first hand the quality of finish that we can construct in the factory.
“The prototype house was a critical part of our design and engineering program, allowing us to test innovative new building techniques such as the lifting system and the floor construction – which has proved to be a high performance, highly sustainable and robust alternative to pre-installed concrete floors.”
“The team at Queen’s University Belfast worked with us on the project in a collaborative knowledge transfer partnership, providing input on testing and structural design. In return, we were able to give valuable industrial experience and the opportunity for academic research into new methods of construction to address the housing crisis.”
