The rise and rise of modular construction: Are building services ready to meet demand?
No longer the exclusive domain of regional or remote projects, modular construction is now becoming de rigueur for city-based builds too. Read on to discover how the design of building services is being impacted by this changing of the guard.
Modular construction is enjoying soaring popularity. It’s a process whereby the majority of a project is realised off-site — often in large warehouse facilities — and then transported for final assembly on location.
Undertaking the bulk of construction in ‘controlled’ environments has the potential to deliver speedy results, and reduced labour costs, all without having to contend with unpredictable weather conditions and protracted site preparations.
No strangers to modular construction, we have been designing and documenting building services for these types of projects for over a decade. Formative projects include mining construction camps in Central and Western Queensland. More recently, our modular construction jobs have included a patient ward building for Hervey Bay Hospital and an administration building for Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane.
Ashburner Francis Mechanical Engineer Clint Walker says, no matter the location, one key consideration applies to all building services for modular construction. “When everything is modular, we have to design building services in compartments,” Clint explains. “It’s imperative that the interfaces between compartments will work as a system when they are connected on site.”
Furthermore, unlike traditional builds, modular construction projects tend to have low-pitched roofs.
“Modular buildings don’t have a lot of roof cavity to accommodate mechanical systems and infrastructure, so spatial coordination can really make or break a project!”
From Toowoomba to the Kimberley — modular construction fast tracks new school
Modular construction is now the ‘norm’ for projects located in regional or remote parts of the country. Ashburner Francis’ Toowoomba office recently designed and documented the electrical and mechanical components of the building services for a new school, built by Hutchinson Builders and located in the Kimberley.
The Manjali Studio School (developed via a partnership between the Bunuba community and Studio Schools of Australia) is a residential and teaching facility made up of 87 buildings constructed in Toowoomba and transported to the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges in Western Australia.
Ashburner Francis designed and documented all of the school’s communications and power reticulation (including solar modules for external lighting). Several other site-specific systems were also integrated. Lightning protection was essential, as the region is prone to storms during the wet season.
Given the region regularly experiences temps in the 40s, or higher, designing robust air-conditioning was also a key priority for the Ashburner Francis team. Low-maintenance units were selected, mindful of the school’s remote location in the event a repair or replacement may be required.
Over in the school’s community building, equipped with a commercial kitchen and exhaust system, dehumidification measures were designed to assist in countering humidity and to help protect the building’s indoor air quality.
Andrew Nolan, Senior Design Manager at Hutchinson Builders Toowoomba praised the expertise and meticulousness of Ashburner Francis, which played a crucial role in the success of the Manjali Studio School project, saying:
“The Toowoomba office of Ashburner Francis demonstrated a deep understanding of modular construction and the integration with site works necessary for a remote community. Their insights were invaluable in ensuring that the school’s building services could be easily constructed and assembled on site. I am eager to collaborate on similar projects with this highly capable team.”