_4 October 2010

Welcome to PrefabNZ – the hub for pre-built construction: • a catalyst for prefab collaboration, • a front-door-portal for prefab information and • an incubator for prefab innovation.

PrefabNZ Auckland Workshop and Behind-the-Scenes Tour: The PrefabNZ Workshop and Behind-the-Scenes Tour were held Friday September 24

th. Thanks to

our hosts at Roll-forming Services (RFS) and to everyone who attended and participated in these events. There were 100 attendees (25% design, 25% manufacture, 10% research and the rest made up of contractors, consultants, distributors, retail, training and media). This day attracted 40 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points for registered architects and 4 Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) points from the Department of Building and Housing (DBH) – engineering members of IPENZ can self-award points for this event. It was interesting to see members of New Zealand’s prefab community coming together to look at the options available in today’s market. There were plenty of ideas and enthusiasm about what happens when traditional construction methods meet modern materials and processes. ‘It will be fascinating to see the outcomes of these ideas’ said RFS General Manager and PrefabNZ Board Chair, Todd Forsyth. The morning presentations from PrefabNZ’s Pamela Bell and twelve other industry representatives are available online at www.dropbox.com – email us if you would like a link to these at info@prefabnz.com

The afternoon focus group work looked at 3 issues: 1. PrefabNZ post-earthquake response:

• Assess = research construction types, elements and finishes for durability

• Inform = educate relevant bodies about prefab as a high-quality built solution

• Demonstrate = show prefab solutions by workshop, road-show, spokes-person etc.

• Comment at http://prefabnz.blogspot.com/ 2. PrefabNZ website needs:

• Access = quick, intuitive, simple navigation • Share = forum, info, research, projects,

presentations, case studies, materials, contacts, directory

• Inspiration and Innovation • Specific Resources = compliance

documentation, marketing material, cost comparisons, detailed drawings

3. Prefab industry technical needs:

• Performance data and energy info • Cost modelling • Building code compliance and education • Collaborative market research • Wider communication across design and

construction industry sector Thanks for your input – any further comment or suggestions are welcome to info@prefabnz.com

PrefabNZ Auckland Workshop at Roll-Forming Services

Anna Farrow of FirstLight, Victoria University of Wellington

Steel-Framing Innovation Conference: The first New Zealand Steel-Framing Innovation Conference was held September 22

nd-24

th hosted

by Howick Ltd and Roll-Forming Services (RFS). Over sixty attendees came from all over NZ and the world, including Russia, Singapore and Eastern Europe. There were a number of on-site demonstrations, trade displays and presentations, as well as other site visits focussed on speed and quality aspects of light-gauge steel. The presentations covered recent research, technology, innovation, software, new products and machinery. A presentation on prefabrication precedents from the UK, looked at Unite Modular Solutions and Elements Europe. Unite has built over 17,000 modules and 70 multi-storey buildings. Their factory has the capacity to build 10,000 modules per year (that’s one unit every 22 minutes!) – check out the video links on their home pages: http://www.unite-modular-solutions.co.uk/ and http://www.elements-europe.com/ RFS and Howick have been receiving many comments, such as ‘…heaps of great detailed information and inspiring visions of what the future will hold,’ ‘…the content was relevant and the quality of the presenters excellent. Clearly there are some significant opportunities to be leveraged going forward’.

Todd Forsyth of Roll-Forming Services

Nelson Behind-the-Scenes Tour: PrefabNZ is planning a Behind-the-Scenes tour of the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) Arts and Media building on November 12

th (12-5pm) followed by drinks. This is the

world’s first multi-storey pre-stressed timber building. See construction progress videos online: http://www.nmit.ac.nz/schools/artsmedia/artsandmediabuilding.aspx Speakers at this event will likely include:

- Laurie Halkett (Pine Manufacturers Association)

- Pamela Bell (PrefabNZ) - Andrew Irving and Jeremy Smith (Irving

Smith Jack Architects) - Carl Deveraux (Aurecon) - Jason Guiver (Hunter Laminates) - Colin Anderson (Arrow) - Michael Cambridge (Organic Building) - Roger Gibbons (contractor) - Dave Strachan (Strachan Group

Architects) - Gary Caulfield (Stanley Modular) - And Martin Goss (Mtech Consult UK)

More info and registration at info@prefabnz.com

NMIT building rendering – Irving Smith Jack Architects

Mtech Consult UK – NZ visit: Martin Goss of Mtech Consult UK is visiting New Zealand and you have the opportunity to hear him speak in Nelson and meet with him there or in Wellington. Martin is the Managing Director of Mtech Consult Limited, Europe’s leading prefab / offsite consultancy. As the founder of Mtech Consult, Martin has created an organisation that is now defining the way forward for this burgeoning industry sector, providing technical guidance and advice on offsite manufacturing and construction for businesses and governments in the UK and overseas. There are opportunities to meet one-on-one with Martin on the afternoon of Thursday 11

th

November in Wellington and the morning of Friday 12

th November in Nelson.

Please email Susie Bell

Susie.Bell@mtech-consult.com to arrange appointments with Martin Goss.

Other events coming up: - The NZ Timber Design Society is hosting a

half-day seminar on Monday 11 October leading into the Timber Design Awards that evening. These awards recognise and encourage innovative and outstanding design, engineering and construction practice using timber. More info at http://www.ipenz.org.nz/ipenz/nzecal/eventdetail.cfm?eventid=5116

- The ForestWood Conference will be held at Te Papa, Wellington on Tuesday 12 October – pan-industry conference being jointly hosted by Forest Owners Association (FOA), Wood Processors Association (WPA), Pine Manufacturers Association (PMA), Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA) and supported by Woodco, NZ Farm Forestry Association (NZFFA) and Frame & Truss Manufacturers Association (FTMA). See http://www.forestwood.org.nz/ for info.

- Maxim panel is opening a new factory in

Huntly on 15 October - Building and Construction Minister Maurice

Williamson and Housing Minister Phil Heatley open the Simple House in Otara, Auckland, on 22 October

- In February 24-26 2011, the Fensterbau

Frontale Exhibition will be held in India – this is a showcase for international innovation in window, door and façade technology, components and prefab systems - see http://www.frontale-india.com

- Also, the 2011 Global Innovation in

Construction (GIC) Conference will be held 5‐7 July 2011 at the University of Calgary, Canada. See the Call for Papers at http://www.loughborough2009.org/doc/GICC_2011_Call_for_papers.pdf

National Prefab Exhibition: We are pleased to announce that a National Prefab Exhibition is under development between the museum Puke Ariki in New Plymouth and researchers at Victoria University of Wellington (Mark Southcombe and Pamela Bell). See Puke Ariki at http://www.pukeariki.com/ This will be New Zealand’s first prefab retrospective and a landmark event starting in March 2012 and running for several months. The exhibition and accompanying catalogue will capture past, present and future innovations in prefab in NZ, and be contextualised within the ground-breaking ‘Home Delivery’ exhibition held at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) New York in 2008. See MoMA’s blog at http://momahomedelivery.org The exhibition will enable members of the public to fully experience built prefab architecture through large-scale models, fragments and complete buildings. The content will be developed throughout 2011 and we will keep you informed!!

Case Study – Elam Hall: Stanley Modular in Matamata is in the midst of production of 468 structural bed and study room modules for the Elam Hall student accommodation tower at Auckland University. This is a particularly interesting and complex project with a separate design team for the base building (by Warren & Mahoney with Holmes) and for the structural modules (by Assembly Architecture with Dunning Thornton).

PrefabNZ Board members at Stanley Modular, Matamata

Hawkins Construction is progressing on the base building while the modules are being fabricated in Stanley’s factory. In mid-December the modules will begin to be transported and plugged into place. The modules will be stacked three-high between the structural inter-floors. Six modules will be installed each day, six days per week, from December through to March.

PrefabNZ hope to organise a Behind-the-Scenes Tour in February to see the process of these modules being placed at site in Auckland.

Shrink-wrapping the modules for Elam Hall

You can see the webcam to the Stanley factory at http://www.stanleygroup.co.nz/page/174-modular+our-webcam

Roger Hay – Industrialised Building Systems: We note with great sadness the passing of Roger Hay, FNZIA (Rtd). Roger was a passionate advocate for prefab and attended the Kiwi Prefab Workshop in February of this year. He was the research architect for Industrialised Building Systems (IBS) in the late 1960s and early 1970s – involved with the patenting of their innovative pre-stressed Ribsel™ floor and wall panel system. Roger was always willing to offer his prefab research expertise and planned a Master of Architecture in this area. Roger died peacefully on Sunday 12 September. His energy will be missed.

IBS modular system – drawing courtesy Ivan Juriss

A small case study on IBS featured in the latest issue of Houses magazine (17) – http://www.agm.co.nz/index.html?category=33&id=285.

Simple House Acceptable Solution: The Simple House event was held in September at Victoria University’s School of Architecture. Department of Building (DBH) Chief Architect Duncan Joiner spoke about the Simple House Acceptable Solution. This document has been developed by the DBH to enable architects to become more involved in the design of small low-cost houses. It is likely that these types of houses will be assembled from prefabricated components such as pre-nailed roof trusses and wall frames, window and door joinery, staircases and kitchen cabinetry. The Simple House Acceptable Solution is a way to simplify the documentation and consent process and their associated fees – as a way to encourage more first-home-buyers to engage with design. The DBH wants to encourage architects and designers to develop innovative and affordable houses that comply with the New Zealand Building Code. The Simple House Acceptable Solution is for single-storey framed construction using limited roof spans and a limited range of cladding materials. Design criteria include: structural strength and durability for the majority of locations in New Zealand; finishes that are durable and low maintenance; flexibility to meet changing family needs over time; energy efficiency, water efficiency, material efficiency, and waste minimization; and low ongoing operational costs. The DBH ran a design competition to encourage architects, designers and builders to develop designs based on the Simple House Acceptable Solution guide. There were 140 entries to the competition and the Supreme Award winner was Stephen Smith of S3 Architects. A house built to Stephen Smith’s design is nearing completion in Otara. It will be opened by Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson and Housing Minister Phil Heatley on 22 October.

Simple Starter House by S3 Architects

NZ Institute – World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Index The NZ Institute reports that New Zealand’s global competitiveness ranking fell from 20

th last year to

24th this year. The drop in overall ranking is

disappointing and results from insufficient effort to lift innovation performance over a long period of time. Innovation drives the competitiveness and prosperity of advanced economies. Now that innovation is on Government’s agenda, innovation and competitiveness should improve, but only if sufficient investment and effort is made in the most important areas. The NZ Institute suggests that the following strategies will increase global competitiveness: increasing the national savings rate, encouraging cluster formation and development, using government procurement to develop advanced technical products, assisting to attract, retain and develop scientists and engineers, beneficial foreign direct investment, and continuing to invest in infrastructure that lifts productivity. Further info is available online at http://www.nzinstitute.org/index.php/nzeconomy/

Reminder - TechNZ Technology Development Grant and Transfer Voucher: The Technology Transfer voucher will be introduced in phases from 1 November 2010 – starting with a limited number of accredited research organisations and businesses in the high value manufacturing and services sector. A list of the accredited research organisations will be published in October. The scheme will be open for applications from 1 November 2010. For more details on the voucher visit Technology Transfer Voucher web pages.

PrefabNZ.com update: We want to hear from you about your prefab projects and how your project is using prefab components, panels, modules, hybrid systems or complete buildings. We are compiling case studies for the PrefabNZ website. Get in touch info@prefabnz.com for the case study template and keep tuned to www.prefabnz.com – the site is destined to go live in November.

PrefabNZ is a one-stop-shop for prefabrication and offsite matters in NZ. We are a self-sustaining non-profit incorporated society representing the interests of a wide range of materials and stakeholders in the design and construction sector: from clients to designers, specifiers,

manufacturers, contractors and government, residential and commercial, and probably even industrial. Our mission is to double the uptake of prefabrication in NZ by 2020 – an increase of at least 40% by turnover. We are welcoming membership enquires and hope that you will decide to come onboard. PrefabNZ is working to deliver networking, educational and marketing opportunities, in response to industry needs. Some of the membership benefits are as follows: 1. members-only website section – entry to

database, site tour events, extended case studies and Innovation Forum

2. online searchable database – enter your key-word and you will access relevant industry members to help answer your questions

3. online prefab directory – your own dedicated presence within the PrefabNZ.com website, with active links to your website – can be viewed by anyone

4. online Innovation Forum – a virtual place for all your FAQ, connections and potential collaborations

5. reduced prices at all PrefabNZ events – registration priority and cost-savings at networking and educational workshops

6. educational site tours – behind-the-scenes viewing of industry hot-spots

PrefabNZ is powered by member contributions and industry sponsorship. The annual membership structure is: A. $250 – business turnover up to $5 million

B. $500 – business turnover $5-10 million

C. $1,000 – business turnover above $10 million

D. $1,000 – research and tertiary institutions

E. student rate by enquiry

F. individual rate by enquiry

As a founding member, you have the option to pay for 2 years up front at a flat rate (no price increases in 2011). Please email us info@prefabnz.com

Coming up in the November e-news: - Read more about the Nelson NMIT Behind-

the-Scenes event from November 12th –

- PrefabNZ web development and content update –

- Report on Maxim Panel’s new factory in Huntly

- Report on ForestWood conference - Announcing the PrefabNZ cost: benefit tool… Please pass this e-news on to others who are interested in prefab. Please contact us if you don’t want to receive these prefab tidbits. We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions at info@prefabnz.com