My first Publication Arup_BuildingDesign2020_v2 | Page 28

Broad Group, a Chinese contractor
specialising in modular construction, has built
a 30-story hotel in 15 days and a 15-story in
only 6 days, and has announced plans to build
a 220-floor tower of modular components in
90 days.
Broad Group’s demonstration of the
advantages of modular construction for
reducing development time and costs sent
waves through the building design world.
Despite claims that the group’s 15-story
Ark Hotel is thermally efficient, sustainably
powered and designed to resist damage
from severe earthquakes, the construction
technique raises questions regarding quality
assurance, long-term operations and
the culture of disposability surrounding
such projects.
Location / Business: Changsha, China.
Broad Group for commercial use.
Off-Site and Modular
Rethink Robotics’ Baxter is a safe,
economical, intuitive factory robot designed
to collaborate with rather than replace human
workers; SynTouch’s BioTac robot hand
mimcs the sensory capbilities of a human
fingertip. At the large and fine scales, potential
for robotic technology for highly complex
specialty applications is advancing.
Baxter represents a new generation
of working robots that prioritise intuition,
flexibility and ease of training over raw speed,
strength or precision; SynTouch’s technology
indicates a quantum leap in machine handling
sensitivity. The combination of the two
robotics technologies has the potential to
meaningfully transform automation in a variety
of AEC industry applications, from design
through construction to operations and
maintenance tasks.
Location / Business: Boston, MA and Los
Angeles, CA. Rethink Robotics & SynTouch for
commerical use.
Over the next decade, modular construction will continue
to evolve, integrating new fabrication techniques such as CNC
machining and additive manufacturing. As modular units
become more sophisticated, a greater emphasis will be placed
on the inclusion of plug-and-play systems and services.
The building design process will demand equal attention
paid to fabrication and construction, requiring extensive
collaboration amongst a varied project team within virtual
construction models.
Advancements in both software design and construction
technologies have transformed our understanding of
prefabrication. A process that once conjured images of boxy,
unimaginative building units has become an area of critical
design innovation, where material and cost efficiencies can be
realised in complex, striking aesthetic and structural forms.
Production of highly complex building components in a
controlled factory environment can produce considerable gains
in worker safety and unit quality while compressing production
schedules, reducing construction traffic and eliminating
worksite waste streams.
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Case Study: Specialty Robotics
Case Study: Reduced Construction Schedules in China
Building Design 2020
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