In an age of increasing automation, modular fabrication could
revolutionise productivity in this sector. With modules prepared
in an off-site facility, site risks and scheduling concerns are
minimised, resulting in a cost effective and waste efficient process
which in contrast to traditional construction practices, ensures a
more consistent quality.
As Fab House proves, design doesn’t need to be sidelined in the
process. TDO has applied smart design strategies to finesse the
detailing to create a house typology which is low cost and material
efficient, without sacrificing beautiful contemporary living spaces.
Working in close collaboration with the off-site contractor SIG
from the outset, TDO looked for ‘free detail’ to expose, to bring
character and quality to the interiors. For example, the timber
ceiling joists in the modular cassettes of the floor plates have
been exposed, a strategy which increases floor-to-ceiling heights
to 2.88 metres, whilst ensuring material continuity with the
birch-faced plywood staircase, which is treated as a sculptural
object inserted into the open-plan reception space. The birch
ply stairwell is top- lit by a skylight, which, combined with floor-
to-ceiling windows in the reception space and master bedroom,
floods the interiors with natural light.
THE BIRCH PLY STAIRWELL IS TOP- LIT BY A SKYLIGHT,
WHICH, COMBINED WITH FLOOR-TO-CEILING WINDOWS
IN THE RECEPTION SPACE AND MASTER BEDROOM,
FLOODS THE INTERIORS WITH NATURAL LIGHT.