Kyle, it's great that you are highlighting and focusing on high performance building construction. As builders in the US, we need to up our game. It's time we build better structures for future generations and help with the climate.
I read the entire Ryan’s ruclips.net/user/postUgkxGqOCINHE0Z0E5gxzSdNi9NWGugRY5Hm2 Plans and was able to make a shed plan. Using Ryan’s Shed Plans alone, the shed itself is great. Where I wish I knew more is with respect to ground preparation and foundations. Maybe that's beyond the scope of Ryan’s Shed Plans.
Always loved the modular construction concept. Always building in a heavily controlled environment, everyone involved in the construction, all in the same building. Looks cool. Just wish I could afford even a plastic shed in Switzerland. :)
I worked for a modular housing company and I'm surprised it's not being done more in the U.S.A. It only takes about 2 to 6 weeks to make a house depending on the size because weather isn't a factor. Also, because they have to be transported, they are built much stronger than traditional homes.
Yes, modulor are built better than stick built. Like you said this is due to shipping and the fact that they have to be lifted by a crane to be set on the foundation
They relly are, I work with temporary buildings, putting them together and taking them apart for transportation to usually the next school. They are really well made, but in every joint we miss insulation
Have been working at a modular plant for the last 4 years in Pennsylvania as a exterior/interior wall framer and drywall. There are a handful of mod plants in my surrounding area that ship daily and cover the east coast down to Florida. Only plus is that i have covering and a little protection from the elements. The pay isnt the greatest but solid constant work.
Larry Haun the legendary framer and writer for Fine Homebuilding said that modular homes would have an extremely positive impact on housing in the USA. After building tract homes for years in California and watching a housing shortage develop he realized the ease and speed of modular construction was the way to go.
Cost. Cost is what everyone pushing for these things dance around. And anytime I go to look, it’s not just a slight increase, we are talking a dramatic jump in cost difference.
I worked for a company in North Carolina that built fully modular homes. We rolled out a house a day. I worked on the ceiling crew. We racked up trusses that had channels routed out for 1X4. After the framing was done we would lay the drywall on the trusses. The ceiling was up and level unless the ceiling was vaulted. We used a speed set for mud. We taped and finished the drywall. We stood half the roof on the ridge and sprayed the popcorn texture. We'd lay it down on blocking and re-group the overhead crane to pick it up level and set it and attach it to the half of the house. Then start the next half.
I worked for a home manufacturing company in Ohio for over five years starting in the mid-nineties. I left to work for/with my dad in general residential construction. That was twenty years ago. I often had literal dreams of working at the modular plant over the years still. It was amazing what a large facility fully staffed could do in a day. At our peak we were pumping out five complete homes per day. Thanks Kyle & Greg for the content. It was interesting to see another manufacturer's site.
Have been working at a mod plant in Pennsylvania for 4 years. Has been an adventure. Have used many techniques from you and enjoy watching and hearing stories from you both.
I lived in an apartment complex in the early 80s that was built as modules in a factory. We moved in prior to the completion of the project so I got a chance to see them truck in modules and set them with a crane. It was pretty cool to watch. This was in Billings Montana and the factory was local.
Come over to Northern Indiana. We have several modular home "factories" you could tour. My uncle has set modulars for 40+ years. My first real construction job was working on the on-site crew building the garages and front porches on these modular homes after they were set onto foundations. We were building a garage in about 3-4 days, start to finish. (Vinyl siding and shingled rooves on a 3-man crew.) We cranked out a bunch of homes that summer!
Up here in Ontario Canada we have a few modular home builder companies and it definitely more expensive but on the other hand they are practically move in ready within a couple of days after being setup on site.
My dad worked for a modular house designer/builder in 1954 in Baton Rouge, LA. Dad and mom bought a house that was built of premade walls and other sections that arrived on site and connected. The house was part of a subdivision of similar houses. We moved back to Shreveport between Christmas 1955 and New Years 1956. From what I can remember, the houses were finished out as usual on-site.
Excellent video! Fascinating stuff. I feel modular builds are great! It puts a lot more emphasis on precise and detailed design. This is therefore more complex in a way. However once the design is buttoned down, you get what you specified, costs, quality and production time are controlled every time. Pls show us more!
Making modular price competitive with stick built is an industry holy grail. You can only come close in areas with a serious labor shortage. Everyone thinks it’s about to happen, but this has been true many times in the last 50 years. Don’t hold your breath.
The crew i work with just finished a modular building, well we didnt put it together. We only did the siding. The whole thing was built with premade squares. They didnt do a great job with lining everything up (it wasnt square at all, sections were placed inches off) but it turned out alright. We only did the cladding on it so we had to work with what we had because the cladding suystem they wanted didnt have any type of "leveling" system to it but we did a mix of hardieboard and corrogated roofing
Need to come visit the Delaware, Pennsylvania (Lancaster County) area. There are a couple of Modular Home manufacturing companies you can tour. Nanticoke Homes just south of Dover, Delaware (US Rt. 13) been building modular components for home construction for over 30 years.
You should check out DC Structure/ Builders. We precut all of our Timberframes and Barndominiums. They come in lumber pack kits, we have a 3D view file you can download and very rarely do we have to make adjustments. All in Oregon.
Modular construction has many huge benefits, but on site construction has many benefits as well. It depends on the needs and balance of options which the customer chooses. Basically, I think there is plenty of room in the market for both. And there are many things which can be learned from Modular construction businesses to improve on site precision and quantity too.
Hi Kyle! I have been in the States for about 25 days for our family summer vacation and I've seen about a dozen prefab houses on trailers on the Interstates and highways in Arizona and Utah and some in California.So it is done over at your side of the pond.
I have been adding fire sprinklers to modular construction for over 20 years in the northeast, PA, NY, MD. Even some big places like Boston University Child Daycare building was steel modular. It's ok, they have some limits. Like residential room size and they have a ton of wasted space in some.
*Abstract* Modular construction is a fascinating method where building components are manufactured off-site within a controlled factory setting. This ensures consistent quality and protects materials from weather-related damage. The video showcases a Swiss modular construction company specializing in projects like a three-story McDonald's. They also manufacture residential units and even complete portable homes. The advantages of this approach include accuracy, efficiency, and the ability to construct the majority of the building within a protected environment.
40 odd years ago, "This Old House" showed this building technique, as did "Hometime", it WAS being done in the US...it never caught on because people didn't want cookie cutter. Even office buildings. Most are still concrete panels erected, and floors poured, etc. If you want lots of one thing, this is absolutely the way to go.
It is definitely a more continuous way of producing a finished product. No weather delays and also waste would be minimal dues to accuracy of cuts etc.
I subscribed to a channel that follows what's going on with the "off site" construction industry, here in the US/Canada, and around the world. It's really taking off in a big way. Currently the most talked about, is "Boxable", but there are so many that are working hard on this. Unfortunately, not very many are really focused on affordability, which is what we really need. Definitely some cool stuff going on.
It definitely has a place here in the US. Not everywhere but a lot of jobs could be much faster with it. All the tooling and learning is probably a huge deterrent. Have a end cut machine for large timber is awesome! I mean we have sip panel construction that is sort of in this direction.
We also pre build everything we can. All of our outside and inside walls are pre manufactured and just get installed on the job site. It may be expensive. But those buildings are built to last generations.
So cool how it can be constructed in a fully controlled environment , quickly and safer for the builders compared to a timber framed houses. Just have the raft slab or foundations with sewer ,elec and water connections done prior then crane your new apartment in connect up elec, water, sewer and you're off (lol never that easy). Only cost issue is that metal frame work of the modular container that's going to cost $$$ but can be offset by the reduced labour cost and possible lower internal finishes. Awesome to be able to just stack multilevels on at a later stage if the foundations were planned for. It's just limited architecturally if you looking at adding personal touches. Good idea for student and small apartment setups and easy to renovate interior later with a strip out Reno. Welcome.to the new world of living/working in a comfy retangular shaped shoe box.
Modular buildings ar getting more and more popular in the Europe and Scandinavian countries. I used to work for company that builds frame from metal. Pretty cool technology. Bathroom was built at the different factory and was lifted in the module after when floors and walls were built. After that comes roof panel on the top.
Built a modular about 20 years ago in the PNW(all stick frame, no steel). It went really well and after 2 additions it's holding up awesome. I love pole buildings because they allow for big open spans but perhaps some modules like beds and bath's could be integrated for ultimate efficiency? Thanks for sharing the content!
It actually makes sense that the people known for making the most precision watch movements in the world would take precision in the construction world, to a different level as well.
Really cool seeing a different building system. I would like to see a deeper dive into the insulation package and comparing it to some of the more efficient builds you've done. The exterior wall for that dorm room unit looked like it was almost a foot thick!
I visited Switzerland for a month 25 yrs ago. And even tho we were staying in small towns, I noticed that the first thing they did when starting a SFR is set up a small tower crane. It wasn't modular, but panelized.
Have you heard of Unity Homes in the States? They are a very modern, high tech modular home producer as well. Quite impressive. Love the way the industry is evolving. Stick-built homes are wasteful in their process. I love the post construction method you do as well, get the shell up and dried in and complete the rest under the protection of the shell and unrestricted in interior design. You guys do great work. Love the channel.
I just bought a property in Idaho thats up a pretty steep switch back Road on a mountain side. Id love to use something like this where could build in a couple weeks and just enjoy the voew
Should come to the UK where we build mainly with brick, I don't think that's very common in the USA? Also would be a good chance to tour some of our very old brick construction buildings. The details at some of the Stately Homes are insane but also many common buildings built during Victorian times, for example some sewage pump station are amazing. Check out videos of Crossness Pumping Station in London!
In Europe "Modular" and all type "constructed in factroy" houses exploded last few years, builing is amazing. Everything is maxed out to fit on regular truck.
We've got plenty of modular construction companies around, but I would say none would compare to the quality of construction as the Swiss company where you are. I considered going modular initially for my new build but changed my mind when I toured a facility of what was supposed to be a high end company. The concept is fine if you want a stick frame home. I'm going with ICF, and I'll build it myself.
I think it definitely has its place in the US that it would make life much easier. I think as long as your closer to infrastructure it would be something that could be quite popular. But for your more rural builds I don't see it being that practical to try and bring in large trucks and cranes without paying a ton of money on prep to the ground to allow for those weight ratings on say a dirt driveway or a heavily wooded area along a narrow driveway etc. My biggest questions as a firefighter is what does a fire look like for those. That is super interesting construction for sure.
FYI the use of materials and the controlled environment / construction means these structures meet the most stringent of fire regulations, as well as insulation etc. standards.
@@WPGinfo I am sure they are most of europe has way stricter standards than we do in the US for building materials, fire ratings, etc. I just wonder how a fire would behave if one starts.
Love the modular building concept, that's how China was able to build a 1,000 bed hospital in 10 days at the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic. Would be interested to know what their manufacturing tolerances are there at the Switzerland factory. That tiny dorm could be good for the homeless.
Fewer people entering the trades = labor shortages = price increases = A cost at which this method will become an effective option. I'd look to a Pulte or Birkshire to build such factories to further dominate and control the cookie cutter home market. BTW would love your opinion on sawn logs vs glue lam .. I've got about 70 40ft logs I've planned to mill into a 20ft tall barn but always think maybe gluelam is better.
Kyle, you maybe think that you don't have in common with the Swiss the 'modular building' principle. But what you do have in common is your level of accuracy. I was born and raised Dutch, now in North America, so my brain is split imperial / metric but I have that same Swiss/German/Scandinavian need for accuracy. Building furniture, a quarter of a millimeter is not overdoing it. Which means in imperial I will do at least 1/64". So a pencil line is too wide, a Stanley knife mark is much more accurate. On your huge post frames you do exactly that. Mmm, maybe sometimes 1/32nd :-). Keep doing what you're doing ... 1" = 25mm 1/8" = 3 mm 1/16" = 1.5 mm 1/32" = 0.75 mm 1/64" ~= 0.5 mm 1/128" ~= 0.2 mm
I was a general contractor in modular housing construction up until 2013. Most of the homes we sold were manufactured in the Elkhart, IN area. Some of the positive things about them is they're very energy efficient, consistent built quality, and structurally sound with a 10 year structural warranty. I'd say that's an impressive warranty after they've been hauled down the road for 3-4 hours, moved on site with a dozer, lifted with a crane, etc.
Most say modular homes are built better than stick framed due to the better foundation (steel frame built in a table) and being built inside so no rain and that they can just repeat cuts on giant tooling.
The advantages are obvious but the market decides the quality of the design and what materials are used. If a client will pay the same money for a cheaper product then the better product can not last in that market.
I have such a modular mini-home....built in Canada's smallest province, where I now reside since 2020. The home is a 2-bedroom/2 bath with combination kitchen/living room and vaulted ceiling...as well as a mud-room, large enough to accommodate a full-size side-by-side washer/dryer, 48g Water-Heater as well as a Venmar air-exchanger . The outside dimensions are 56 x 18 feet, and the inside measures 54 x 16 feet, i.e. built energy-efficient with 1-ft thick outer walls. The build-cost including delivery (33 miles / 53 km) & install (on brick footings) was C$87,000 plus Taxes of 15%. Mind you, the build quality - while relatively good for Canadian standards - would never meet the Swiss workmanship (i was born & raised there 72 years ago...lol), but I'm happy with my semi-retirement home on 56 acres of wooded land about 2 miles from the sea ;--)
As a home buyer, I would find modular construction of this quality very appealing, knowing exactly what materials are being used and how it would be constructed would remove a lot of the uncertainty from the home building process, although I fear that all of the typical corporate penny pinching in US would ruin the quality, in some other counties they improve profit by efficiency and process improvement, here they just make cost cuts to the point of destruction of the product.
I think you are absolutly right. I'm from the Netherlands, Europe, and we (in West-Europe) have a lot of good modular buildings and Yes building Modular needs a special mind-set and that is... as a company you must always be calculating what the cost and your profit has to be and be happy with that and build yourself a good and strong company (like RR Buildings is doing) and not always looking for 'do less and make more money with it'. I think that "american way of thinking" is a killer for the long therm. You say it yourself being a home buyer you have your reservations, there is a lot of the uncertainty from the home building process, although you fear that all of the typical corporate penny pinching in US would ruin the quality. I see a lot of RUclips video's about new home buildings in America and......if you tray to build like that, cutting corners, you will be out of business and maybe jail in west Europe.
@ Zeke Zeke....in your words, I quote "....although I fear that all of the typical corporate penny pinching in US", let me tell you, they do that too over there, however with a touch of Swiss-bred efficiency, and they call it rappenfuchsen ;-)
I think the Europeans are way ahead of us in quality and efficiency when it comes to residential and light commercial construction. We are way too resistant to change here and nobody has the courage to raise the minimum standards in the codes sufficiently enough to make things better.
We recently bought a house that was a manufactured home , I love these builds but one thing they need to address is when they run the wiring they notch all of the panels and it is a virtual pathway for mice and chipmunks , after we moved in we found wires that had started on fire at some point and I ended up taking the lower section of the drywall out and redoing most of the wiring
Kyle, you gotta come check out the company I worked for called Blueprint Robotics. Based in Baltimore, MD, we premanufacture wall and floor assemblies for residential construction. You’d enjoy it.
Cracks me up at people at "how dangerous" a RAS is, it's no more dangerous than a table saw, miter saw and a circular saw. There are numerous video's on how to actually use a RAS properly. Modular buildings are nice, you really have to sit down and make the plans out very carefully. I don't like going "up", as one ages, one's knees say, no more stairs. A proper company that does this, (factory), does make these very nice and yes, extremely precise. Yes, it is the way of the future and it's already here in the states. The problem with what we "American's" make doesn't equal to what foreign countries do when it comes to quality. We simply don't make things like we used to and it all comes down to the bottom dollar as to why. Cheaply made but sold at twice to three times the price as it should be. Cheers :)
I went through the place in the U.S.A. that built my mom's double wide house. The principle was the same but the quality suffered by rushing, poor training, and/or low work ethic even though they used quality materials.
I work in engineering for a residential modular company in the US. This facility is quite a bit different than ours. Some different processes and materials than we use
I think for your type of work you could assemble your laminated columns in the shop and then take them to the site then attach your horizontal lumber for the siding, then erect the wall. Instead of trying to laminate your 2x6 columns in the field. Maybe it would save you a little time....
@@RRBuildings Oh? Is that a new practice? I seem to remember a little while back you were laying out 2x6 on the ground and then standing them up with your horizontal girts already attached. That's what I mean by laminated columns. Is that the wrong terminology? Anyway, I love the channel. I'm a retired builder of all things custom and your dedication to craftsmanship is excellent.
Kyle, it's great that you are highlighting and focusing on high performance building construction. As builders in the US, we need to up our game. It's time we build better structures for future generations and help with the climate.
I read the entire Ryan’s ruclips.net/user/postUgkxGqOCINHE0Z0E5gxzSdNi9NWGugRY5Hm2 Plans and was able to make a shed plan. Using Ryan’s Shed Plans alone, the shed itself is great. Where I wish I knew more is with respect to ground preparation and foundations. Maybe that's beyond the scope of Ryan’s Shed Plans.
Greg -- chief construction specialist / official YT - RR Buildings videographer !!! Congratulations !!! 👏👏👏
I'm watching your channel for quite a while now. Nice to see, that you're visiting Europe and stopping by in the neighborhood of Austria :).
Always loved the modular construction concept. Always building in a heavily controlled environment, everyone involved in the construction, all in the same building. Looks cool. Just wish I could afford even a plastic shed in Switzerland. :)
Agree it isn’t cheap
I worked for a modular housing company and I'm surprised it's not being done more in the U.S.A. It only takes about 2 to 6 weeks to make a house depending on the size because weather isn't a factor. Also, because they have to be transported, they are built much stronger than traditional homes.
Yes, modulor are built better than stick built. Like you said this is due to shipping and the fact that they have to be lifted by a crane to be set on the foundation
They relly are, I work with temporary buildings, putting them together and taking them apart for transportation to usually the next school. They are really well made, but in every joint we miss insulation
Have been working at a modular plant for the last 4 years in Pennsylvania as a exterior/interior wall framer and drywall. There are a handful of mod plants in my surrounding area that ship daily and cover the east coast down to Florida. Only plus is that i have covering and a little protection from the elements. The pay isnt the greatest but solid constant work.
Larry Haun the legendary framer and writer for Fine Homebuilding said that modular homes would have an extremely positive impact on housing in the USA. After building tract homes for years in California and watching a housing shortage develop he realized the ease and speed of modular construction was the way to go.
Cost. Cost is what everyone pushing for these things dance around. And anytime I go to look, it’s not just a slight increase, we are talking a dramatic jump in cost difference.
I worked for a company in North Carolina that built fully modular homes. We rolled out a house a day. I worked on the ceiling crew.
We racked up trusses that had channels routed out for 1X4. After the framing was done we would lay the drywall on the trusses. The ceiling was up and level unless the ceiling was vaulted. We used a speed set for mud. We taped and finished the drywall. We stood half the roof on the ridge and sprayed the popcorn texture. We'd lay it down on blocking and re-group the overhead crane to pick it up level and set it and attach it to the half of the house. Then start the next half.
I worked for a home manufacturing company in Ohio for over five years starting in the mid-nineties. I left to work for/with my dad in general residential construction. That was twenty years ago. I often had literal dreams of working at the modular plant over the years still.
It was amazing what a large facility fully staffed could do in a day. At our peak we were pumping out five complete homes per day.
Thanks Kyle & Greg for the content. It was interesting to see another manufacturer's site.
Have been working at a mod plant in Pennsylvania for 4 years. Has been an adventure. Have used many techniques from you and enjoy watching and hearing stories from you both.
Wow cool
11:17
We as Americans need to be like this.
As a home builder.
I like this. I like perfection.
Very different for me but I do love it
Great video, and yes modular building are the future for sure.
Very cool. Looks like really high quality.
I lived in an apartment complex in the early 80s that was built as modules in a factory. We moved in prior to the completion of the project so I got a chance to see them truck in modules and set them with a crane. It was pretty cool to watch. This was in Billings Montana and the factory was local.
The level of detail and quality will make those homes last forever. Wish we would get our shit together in the US.
Come over to Northern Indiana. We have several modular home "factories" you could tour. My uncle has set modulars for 40+ years. My first real construction job was working on the on-site crew building the garages and front porches on these modular homes after they were set onto foundations. We were building a garage in about 3-4 days, start to finish. (Vinyl siding and shingled rooves on a 3-man crew.) We cranked out a bunch of homes that summer!
Love the wet-guard👍…cool stuff. Thanks for the tour
Nice weather.
Up here in Ontario Canada we have a few modular home builder companies and it definitely more expensive but on the other hand they are practically move in ready within a couple of days after being setup on site.
Great vid. Look forward to the rest in the series. Modular construction has it's place for certain applications.
Loving this series already!
My dad worked for a modular house designer/builder in 1954 in Baton Rouge, LA. Dad and mom bought a house that was built of premade walls and other sections that arrived on site and connected. The house was part of a subdivision of similar houses. We moved back to Shreveport between Christmas 1955 and New Years 1956. From what I can remember, the houses were finished out as usual on-site.
Excellent video! Fascinating stuff. I feel modular builds are great! It puts a lot more emphasis on precise and detailed design. This is therefore more complex in a way. However once the design is buttoned down, you get what you specified, costs, quality and production time are controlled every time. Pls show us more!
Making modular price competitive with stick built is an industry holy grail. You can only come close in areas with a serious labor shortage. Everyone thinks it’s about to happen, but this has been true many times in the last 50 years. Don’t hold your breath.
The Swiss and Germans are very precise and very high quality products. Always. Thanks Kyle for this very good video. 👍😁
You have go and Watch on site when The put it together! A very quick way off building!! Greeting from The netherlands!
Thank you
Thank you! Wish you good trip!)
Fantastic. Thank you
The crew i work with just finished a modular building, well we didnt put it together. We only did the siding.
The whole thing was built with premade squares. They didnt do a great job with lining everything up (it wasnt square at all, sections were placed inches off) but it turned out alright. We only did the cladding on it so we had to work with what we had because the cladding suystem they wanted didnt have any type of "leveling" system to it but we did a mix of hardieboard and corrogated roofing
I think these are super cool. And I'm sure the quality is way better than anything done in the field
That lumber is sure nice!
Need to come visit the Delaware, Pennsylvania (Lancaster County) area. There are a couple of Modular Home manufacturing companies you can tour. Nanticoke Homes just south of Dover, Delaware (US Rt. 13) been building modular components for home construction for over 30 years.
Another awesome video!! Thank you!!
You should check out DC Structure/ Builders. We precut all of our Timberframes and Barndominiums. They come in lumber pack kits, we have a 3D view file you can download and very rarely do we have to make adjustments. All in Oregon.
Very cool, stayed in one in Iceland and was insanely efficient
Modular construction has many huge benefits, but on site construction has many benefits as well. It depends on the needs and balance of options which the customer chooses. Basically, I think there is plenty of room in the market for both. And there are many things which can be learned from Modular construction businesses to improve on site precision and quantity too.
Hi Kyle! I have been in the States for about 25 days for our family summer vacation and I've seen about a dozen prefab houses on trailers on the Interstates and highways in Arizona and Utah and some in California.So it is done over at your side of the pond.
Not like this
@@RRBuildings No, but the Swiss are always pulling it over the top!🤣
I have been adding fire sprinklers to modular construction for over 20 years in the northeast, PA, NY, MD. Even some big places like Boston University Child Daycare building was steel modular. It's ok, they have some limits. Like residential room size and they have a ton of wasted space in some.
*Abstract*
Modular construction is a fascinating method where building components are manufactured off-site within a controlled factory setting. This ensures consistent quality and protects materials from weather-related damage. The video showcases a Swiss modular construction company specializing in projects like a three-story McDonald's. They also manufacture residential units and even complete portable homes. The advantages of this approach include accuracy, efficiency, and the ability to construct the majority of the building within a protected environment.
40 odd years ago, "This Old House" showed this building technique, as did "Hometime", it WAS being done in the US...it never caught on because people didn't want cookie cutter. Even office buildings. Most are still concrete panels erected, and floors poured, etc. If you want lots of one thing, this is absolutely the way to go.
It is definitely a more continuous way of producing a finished product. No weather delays and also waste would be minimal dues to accuracy of cuts etc.
I subscribed to a channel that follows what's going on with the "off site" construction industry, here in the US/Canada, and around the world.
It's really taking off in a big way.
Currently the most talked about, is "Boxable", but there are so many that are working hard on this.
Unfortunately, not very many are really focused on affordability, which is what we really need.
Definitely some cool stuff going on.
It definitely has a place here in the US. Not everywhere but a lot of jobs could be much faster with it. All the tooling and learning is probably a huge deterrent. Have a end cut machine for large timber is awesome! I mean we have sip panel construction that is sort of in this direction.
We also pre build everything we can. All of our outside and inside walls are pre manufactured and just get installed on the job site. It may be expensive. But those buildings are built to last generations.
So cool how it can be constructed in a fully controlled environment , quickly and safer for the builders compared to a timber framed houses. Just have the raft slab or foundations with sewer ,elec and water connections done prior then crane your new apartment in connect up elec, water, sewer and you're off (lol never that easy). Only cost issue is that metal frame work of the modular container that's going to cost $$$ but can be offset by the reduced labour cost and possible lower internal finishes. Awesome to be able to just stack multilevels on at a later stage if the foundations were planned for. It's just limited architecturally if you looking at adding personal touches. Good idea for student and small apartment setups and easy to renovate interior later with a strip out Reno. Welcome.to the new world of living/working in a comfy retangular shaped shoe box.
RR~Supr- professional video!
Modular buildings ar getting more and more popular in the Europe and Scandinavian countries. I used to work for company that builds frame from metal. Pretty cool technology. Bathroom was built at the different factory and was lifted in the module after when floors and walls were built. After that comes roof panel on the top.
Glad to see you brought Greg with you even if he is only the Camera Man lol enjoy
I really think it could be a thing..That tiny modular home is something I’d like for my retirement home.
Built a modular about 20 years ago in the PNW(all stick frame, no steel). It went really well and after 2 additions it's holding up awesome. I love pole buildings because they allow for big open spans but perhaps some modules like beds and bath's could be integrated for ultimate efficiency? Thanks for sharing the content!
It actually makes sense that the people known for making the most precision watch movements in the world would take precision in the construction world, to a different level as well.
Really cool seeing a different building system. I would like to see a deeper dive into the insulation package and comparing it to some of the more efficient builds you've done.
The exterior wall for that dorm room unit looked like it was almost a foot thick!
I visited Switzerland for a month 25 yrs ago. And even tho we were staying in small towns, I noticed that the first thing they did when starting a SFR is set up a small tower crane. It wasn't modular, but panelized.
Definitely the future of housing.
Have you heard of Unity Homes in the States? They are a very modern, high tech modular home producer as well. Quite impressive. Love the way the industry is evolving. Stick-built homes are wasteful in their process. I love the post construction method you do as well, get the shell up and dried in and complete the rest under the protection of the shell and unrestricted in interior design. You guys do great work. Love the channel.
I just bought a property in Idaho thats up a pretty steep switch back Road on a mountain side. Id love to use something like this where could build in a couple weeks and just enjoy the voew
Should come to the UK where we build mainly with brick, I don't think that's very common in the USA? Also would be a good chance to tour some of our very old brick construction buildings. The details at some of the Stately Homes are insane but also many common buildings built during Victorian times, for example some sewage pump station are amazing. Check out videos of Crossness Pumping Station in London!
Awesome sauce
In Europe "Modular" and all type "constructed in factroy" houses exploded last few years, builing is amazing. Everything is maxed out to fit on regular truck.
We've got plenty of modular construction companies around, but I would say none would compare to the quality of construction as the Swiss company where you are. I considered going modular initially for my new build but changed my mind when I toured a facility of what was supposed to be a high end company. The concept is fine if you want a stick frame home. I'm going with ICF, and I'll build it myself.
Bensonwood and a few others do modular/panelized in the US. NS Builders did a great vid of the BW factory a few weeks ago.
I think it definitely has its place in the US that it would make life much easier. I think as long as your closer to infrastructure it would be something that could be quite popular. But for your more rural builds I don't see it being that practical to try and bring in large trucks and cranes without paying a ton of money on prep to the ground to allow for those weight ratings on say a dirt driveway or a heavily wooded area along a narrow driveway etc. My biggest questions as a firefighter is what does a fire look like for those. That is super interesting construction for sure.
FYI the use of materials and the controlled environment / construction means these structures meet the most stringent of fire regulations, as well as insulation etc. standards.
@@WPGinfo I am sure they are most of europe has way stricter standards than we do in the US for building materials, fire ratings, etc. I just wonder how a fire would behave if one starts.
Love the modular building concept, that's how China was able to build a 1,000 bed hospital in 10 days at the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic. Would be interested to know what their manufacturing tolerances are there at the Switzerland factory. That tiny dorm could be good for the homeless.
Fewer people entering the trades = labor shortages = price increases = A cost at which this method will become an effective option. I'd look to a Pulte or Birkshire to build such factories to further dominate and control the cookie cutter home market. BTW would love your opinion on sawn logs vs glue lam .. I've got about 70 40ft logs I've planned to mill into a 20ft tall barn but always think maybe gluelam is better.
Kyle, you maybe think that you don't have in common with the Swiss the 'modular building' principle. But what you do have in common is your level of accuracy. I was born and raised Dutch, now in North America, so my brain is split imperial / metric but I have that same Swiss/German/Scandinavian need for accuracy. Building furniture, a quarter of a millimeter is not overdoing it. Which means in imperial I will do at least 1/64".
So a pencil line is too wide, a Stanley knife mark is much more accurate. On your huge post frames you do exactly that. Mmm, maybe sometimes 1/32nd :-). Keep doing what you're doing ...
1" = 25mm
1/8" = 3 mm
1/16" = 1.5 mm
1/32" = 0.75 mm
1/64" ~= 0.5 mm
1/128" ~= 0.2 mm
I’ve done some sub contractor work for same type construction in Greenville S. C. But we was building 1-4 berm homes.
I was a general contractor in modular housing construction up until 2013. Most of the homes we sold were manufactured in the Elkhart, IN area. Some of the positive things about them is they're very energy efficient, consistent built quality, and structurally sound with a 10 year structural warranty. I'd say that's an impressive warranty after they've been hauled down the road for 3-4 hours, moved on site with a dozer, lifted with a crane, etc.
Iowa here. Please commit and rock the dirty ‘stache.
Yeah!
Most say modular homes are built better than stick framed due to the better foundation (steel frame built in a table) and being built inside so no rain and that they can just repeat cuts on giant tooling.
The advantages are obvious but the market decides the quality of the design and what materials are used. If a client will pay the same money for a cheaper product then the better product can not last in that market.
@@toucansteve Same can be said for tools made in China. How much quality you want depends on how much you are willing to pay.
It's been done in US for a while, many people have modular homes, some even double wide modular homes
I have such a modular mini-home....built in Canada's smallest province, where I now reside since 2020. The home is a 2-bedroom/2 bath with combination kitchen/living room and vaulted ceiling...as well as a mud-room, large enough to accommodate a full-size side-by-side washer/dryer, 48g Water-Heater as well as a Venmar air-exchanger . The outside dimensions are 56 x 18 feet, and the inside measures 54 x 16 feet, i.e. built energy-efficient with 1-ft thick outer walls.
The build-cost including delivery (33 miles / 53 km) & install (on brick footings) was C$87,000 plus Taxes of 15%.
Mind you, the build quality - while relatively good for Canadian standards - would never meet the Swiss workmanship (i was born & raised there 72 years ago...lol), but I'm happy with my semi-retirement home on 56 acres of wooded land about 2 miles from the sea ;--)
As a home buyer, I would find modular construction of this quality very appealing, knowing exactly what materials are being used and how it would be constructed would remove a lot of the uncertainty from the home building process, although I fear that all of the typical corporate penny pinching in US would ruin the quality, in some other counties they improve profit by efficiency and process improvement, here they just make cost cuts to the point of destruction of the product.
I think you are absolutly right. I'm from the Netherlands, Europe, and we (in West-Europe) have a lot of good modular buildings and Yes building Modular needs a special mind-set and that is... as a company you must always be calculating what the cost and your profit has to be and be happy with that and build yourself a good and strong company (like RR Buildings is doing) and not always looking for 'do less and make more money with it'. I think that "american way of thinking" is a killer for the long therm. You say it yourself being a home buyer you have your reservations, there is a lot of the uncertainty from the home building process, although you fear that all of the typical corporate penny pinching in US would ruin the quality. I see a lot of RUclips video's about new home buildings in America and......if you tray to build like that, cutting corners, you will be out of business and maybe jail in west Europe.
@ Zeke Zeke....in your words, I quote "....although I fear that all of the typical corporate penny pinching in US", let me tell you, they do that too over there, however with a touch of Swiss-bred efficiency, and they call it rappenfuchsen ;-)
I think the Europeans are way ahead of us in quality and efficiency when it comes to residential and light commercial construction. We are way too resistant to change here and nobody has the courage to raise the minimum standards in the codes sufficiently enough to make things better.
Modular building in the US has been going on for years. Best quality when you can control your environment in a building.
We recently bought a house that was a manufactured home , I love these builds but one thing they need to address is when they run the wiring they notch all of the panels and it is a virtual pathway for mice and chipmunks , after we moved in we found wires that had started on fire at some point and I ended up taking the lower section of the drywall out and redoing most of the wiring
Kyle, you gotta come check out the company I worked for called Blueprint Robotics. Based in Baltimore, MD, we premanufacture wall and floor assemblies for residential construction. You’d enjoy it.
That is cool to see different building system in other country. It would be cool if you could visit other country building site and vlog it.
If two people both had these houses and decided to move in together. You could just stack your houses together.
Popular in Norway also. But they need to figure out better system for many floor houses.
Hey buddy, there is a company in NH that has that same CNC wood cutting machine called Unity Homes. It is amazing what they can do with it.
Could you discuss how they run the wiring, plumbing and HVAC between modules?
Come to LaSalle Co and do an awesome build with some big timber on my property. I have some cool ideas.
Really interested in Modular options for my future build.
4:15 swimsuit poster. Lol
Cracks me up at people at "how dangerous" a RAS is, it's no more dangerous than a table saw, miter saw and a circular saw. There are numerous video's on how to actually use a RAS properly.
Modular buildings are nice, you really have to sit down and make the plans out very carefully. I don't like going "up", as one ages, one's knees say, no more stairs. A proper company that does this, (factory), does make these very nice and yes, extremely precise. Yes, it is the way of the future and it's already here in the states. The problem with what we "American's" make doesn't equal to what foreign countries do when it comes to quality. We simply don't make things like we used to and it all comes down to the bottom dollar as to why. Cheaply made but sold at twice to three times the price as it should be. Cheers :)
wry interesting, would be fascinating to watch that mcdonald’s getting built on site. great tour! thanks
Bensonwood👍🏻
👍
I went through the place in the U.S.A. that built my mom's double wide house. The principle was the same but the quality suffered by rushing, poor training, and/or low work ethic even though they used quality materials.
I work in engineering for a residential modular company in the US. This facility is quite a bit different than ours. Some different processes and materials than we use
Tell us more! I just bought land in rugged idaho and id love to truck a house there
nice callender
What are the odds the set of beams he showed the camera was ne number of the beast?
Right. I thought of that
is this like the ikea flatpack house system that they were talking about a few years back?
I think for your type of work you could assemble your laminated columns in the shop and then take them to the site then attach your horizontal lumber for the siding, then erect the wall. Instead of trying to laminate your 2x6 columns in the field. Maybe it would save you a little time....
I buy laminated columns from a manufacture
@@RRBuildings Oh? Is that a new practice? I seem to remember a little while back you were laying out 2x6 on the ground and then standing them up with your horizontal girts already attached. That's what I mean by laminated columns. Is that the wrong terminology? Anyway, I love the channel. I'm a retired builder of all things custom and your dedication to craftsmanship is excellent.
I've never seen a multi story mcdonalds in my life!
Once modular homes like these can be imported at a competitive price we'll see significant changes in homebuilding in the USA.
Come to Croatia, take a summer vacation on our coastline, while you're here, in Europe.
Hmm, is that really so new in America? My father build modular buildings in here Finland since 1985 - and really it's really common here.
$300,000 CNC beam saw, has a 1998 keyboard
I want one
Works well in Europe where you get what you get.