Fletcher Living has successfully trialled New Zealand’s first quick-build of five panelised terraced homes, following the successful trial of two panelised duplexes last year.
Fletcher Residential and Land Development Chief Executive Steve Evans says: “This is the first time we have done anything like this with a multi-tenancy building in New Zealand.
“When we built the duplexes last year, we erected one in one day and other in two days.
“This month’s terraced house trial saw panels for five terraced homes assembled on site in five days, spread over two weeks. Panels include electrical wiring and plumbing.
“The aim of these trials is to help meet the high demand for new homes by speeding up the house building process while maintaining quality and ensuring regulatory compliance.
“The time saving for a panelised home is significant: it will now take one to four days to weatherproof a home compared to 50 for a standard built duplex home. Finishing requires a further six weeks to complete - compared to a total 22 weeks for a conventional build.
“The use of integrated design software based on a Designed for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) approach, efficient use of materials, and state of the art equipment all reduce the volume of materials. Transport to the site is also reduced – the home arrives in four or five consignments using purpose built trailers and lifting gear.”
The successful trial concludes the proof of concept stage for Fletcher Building’s new factory, which will initially produce around 500 houses a year. Equipment has been ordered through Germany and the first panels off this new production line will be produced in mid 2019. Further expansion of the plant is possible to meet demand from government and other group home builders.