2019 WHAT DO SEVEN KIWIS, SIX AUSSIES, ONE GERMAN, A BUS DRIVER FROM THE NETHERLANDS AND THREE EXCEPTIONAL COMPANIES HAVE IN COMMON? THE HUNDEGGER MASS TIMBER AND PREFABRICATION TOUR OF GERMANY AND SWITZERLAND. SAM ROWE, GENERAL MANAGER OF HUNDEGGER AUSTRALASIA, REPORTS FROM THE FRONT LINE.
Our tour included a week at the Ligna Fair in Hannover, Germany; but leaving the mass timber manufacturing, processing and contract machine sites aside, we also visited three very different but truly excellent prefabricated home builders.
If you’re around my vintage, and educated in Australia, you may well have had part of your schooling in “portables”. These were temporary, prefabricated buildings that were often very cold in winter (Melbourne) and hot and airless in summer. I shudder to think what it would have cost to heat and cool such structures. Importantly, these were often our first exposure to ideas of prefabrication, modular, portable, offsite constructed buildings; and it wasn’t a pleasant experience.
Of course perceptions have changed radically in Australia in recent years. Modular schools, mid-rise residential buildings and even high-rise structures are increasingly gaining well deserved recognition.
In Germany and Switzerland however, offsite construction for buildings is a time-honoured tradition with a much longer history. Used for a wide variety of buildings including family homes, it is not only accepted but embraced, and indeed has aspirational value. Looking in a real estate window at homes for sale, that aspirational value was made apparent. The opening description read: “Bau-Fritz haus….” Far from being sold as “a kit home” a Bau-Fritz home is sought after, promoted and highly valued in the established build market. The UK has also developed into a considerable export market for the exceptional quality homes from Bau-Fritz.
This home manufacturer, whose base is in southern Germany was one of three that we visited. For what started as personal health reasons and soon became an entrenched company-wide ethos, Bau-Fritz, which has been in business over 100 years – building up to 250 homes per year, differentiates itself by insisting on sustainable, ecological solutions for everything it builds.
Over time, this approach has led to the many patents the company holds for leading-edge products. One such is wall insulation. The company collects wood chips and shavings, treats them with natural products and then reuses them, completely chemical and emission free. No chemical foams, all-natural finishes and materials and a “gold standard” reputation in the industry.
“Over time, this approach has led to the many patents the company holds for leading-edge products. One such is wall insulation. The company collects wood chips and shavings, treats them with natural products and then reuses them, completely chemical and emission free. No chemical foams, all-natural finishes and materials and a “gold standard” reputation in the industry.”
Sam Rowe, General Manager of Hundegger Australasia.
Another venture we visited was Blumer-Lehmann in north eastern Switzerland. An amazing site… These guys truly live timber, primarily mass timber, as well as more traditional European style prefabrication. On the day we were there, we were treated to a tour of the production line, which was full of school buildings that bore no resemblance to those “portables” from my school days.
While not as uniquely sustainable as Baufritz, Blumer-Lehmann was impressive due to the varied and challenging nature of its design and construction output. It really is the “go to” when it comes to innovative use of timber in construction. The company features an impressive prefabrication division, as well as a “free-form” division, where virtually anything can be made on some impressive machinery. Blumer Lehmann even has a little “brain storming” centre, complete with prototypes and models of some pretty wild timber structures, either already built or in planning stages. The company uses this to stimulate clients into truly thinking outside of the prefabricated box.
A small side visit away from manufacturing to finished product was included at Fertighaus Welt, a brand new prefabricated home display village in southern Germany showcasing 23 display homes from 23 different prefabricated builders.
Interesting for me was that 18 of those prefabricated building manufacturers used Hundegger machines, and between them owned 26 Hundegger machines.
Our final visit was to a smaller family builder, which produces about 25 homes per year. Hauck Holzbau GmbH is located not far from Heidelberg in central west Germany. This family company has Dad, his son and his daughter working in it and is at the forefront of digital transformation, taking AEC to a whole next level. From using 3D lidar laser scanning on the proposed work site to capture every bit of digital information, to overlaying site plans, services, shade and shadow calculation, nothing is “analogue”; it’s all about digital systems.
“Our final visit was to a smaller family builder, which produces about 25 homes per year. Hauck Holzbau GmbH is located not far from Heidelberg in central west Germany. This family company has Dad, his son and his daughter working in it and is at the forefront of digital transformation, taking AEC to a whole next level. From using 3D lidar laser scanning on the proposed work site to capture every bit of digital information, to overlaying site plans, services, shade and shadow calculation, nothing is “analogue”; it’s all about digital systems.”
Sam Rowe, General Manager of Hundegger Australasia.
Holzbau GmbH uses BIM to finalise everything and give customers a VR/AR walkthrough what will be built, all before a single piece of timber is cut. It’s clearly an effective strategy; the conversion rate from initial enquiry to built product is over 90%. Using fully bespoke design, the company deploys a small crew of talented people, working around a suite of sophisticated Hundegger machines to produce impeccable quality prefabricated buildings. Buildings progress from foundation to lock-up in two days using four people. This was truly an impressive and innovative operation.■