CLOSER LOOK: ALTERNATIVE MODULAR SOLUTIONS

Not all prefab projects have to involve craning a full room-size structure into place – and the fact is this won’t work for every property. If you want a quick build without the heavy lifting, consider going for a modular system that involves piecing together smaller prefabricated elements.

For instance, pre-insulated and pre-clad timber frame walling panels, such as Gutex, could potentially be produced in sizes that allow for handballing on site. This kind of solution can usually be tailored to suit your own architect’s design. Some companies offer packages encompassing everything from planning the design of the extension to on-site assembly. Moss Design & Build, for instance, creates modular systems put together on site without cranes or other installation machinery. “Our architecturallydesigned, joiner-made modular structures suit a vast range of buildings,” says Lydia Niven, a director at the firm. “Each addition is built up in-situ by our skilled craftsmen, with minimal disruption to the customer’s life.” The panellised timber structure sits atop minimal foundation pads and can be erected super-quick, typically in around two to five weeks.

This process is often better suited to schemes where access is an issue. For example, in Mata Architects’ Black Box project (below) the steel box frame that supports the shutters was designed and fabricated in small sections, carried through the house to the garden and assembled on site.