UNITs are fully prefabricated, which means that 100% of the construction is done off-site in a manufacturing plant. UNITS arrive fully assembled to your site. Many other products sold under the name “prefab” are actually modular: some components are made in a factory, yet the house still needs to be assembled on-site. We avoid this mixed process, as it means more time and hassle for you, and all the extra joints and connections needed for this modularity actually increase the risk of damage and errors. We spent years developing our process to deliver a fully assembled house, ready for you to move in. The main advantages of our optimised prefab process are:
– We build much faster.
– We build cheaper.
– We can make sure no unexpected delays happen on site.
– We monitor the entire production in our plant, and guarantee the highest quality control.
– We need less production steps and logistics and build more sustainably.
For CLT, several layers of timber are stacked crosswise, at 90-degrees angles. The result is a material that is so strong, it’s performance is comparable to concrete, despite being five-times lighter – and much more eco-friendly. We source all our certified CLT from regenerative European forests.
To permanently install a UNIT, you need land with the permission to build a residential building. If you are not sure whether you have this permission, you should contact the municipality services in the district responsible for the area in which you want to build. They will check the zoning. They will also check the construction index and tell you the size of the area you can cover with one or several houses. This area should be large enough for the footprint of the UNITs you are choosing. In Portugal, the main impediments to construction are protected zones listed as REN (Reserva Ecológica Nacional) or RAN (Reserva Agrícola Nacional): In these zones, no new residential buildings can be erected.
Before we deliver your UNIT or UNITs, you need to prepare the site. You will also want to make sure you can move in right away. Here are the 3 steps to take before delivery:
1. A UNIT needs to stand on even ground. Therefore, we ask you to hire a local company to assess the site, remove any plants or bushes in the way and then excavate the ground with heavy machinery, to create an even surface. If you need help identifying a suitable company, you can hire our service team to support you.
2. A UNIT needs to be anchored in a foundation. We recommend working with our production partners, who are experts in creating the right foundation for each site, adapted to e.g. slope and soil quality. Our process of choice is to anchor a UNIT by utilizing wooden poles that are driven into the ground. This process is minimally invasive for your land. It is reversible, in case you ever wanted to relocate your UNIT. And it is particularly environmentally friendly, as it requires no concrete, the greatest cause of CO2 emissions in construction. You may however want or need a different kind of foundation. This can be done through our partners or a company of your choice. The one requirement that applies for every UNIT installation: the foundation needs to be finished before delivery.
3. You need connections to the grid for electricity, water and waste. For this, you need the “Go” from your local city hall responsible for these connections. Our UNITs are designed in what we call a “plug & play” mode, inspired by the logic of your phone. They have all the right outlets. They just need to to be “plugged into” the grid. To do this, you will need to hire a local company. You can also hire our service team to take this on for you.
Yes, there are. As for any house, you need permits and an even ground (see previous questions). You don’t need to own a large estate, because we designed UNITs to have a small footprint. Yet we do need room to maneuver. Here are the spatial requirements beyond those of the houses themselves:
1. Your site needs to be accessible by truck. Mainly, this means that the roads leading to your site need to be wide and high enough, and any curves need to allow for the maneuvering of the truck. The minimum path required for the type of truck we use is 3.5 metres wide, though this value increases up to a width of at least 7.2 metres in turns. The minimum height required is 4.5 metres. The roads should be free from obstacles cutting down the width or height of the road since these could damage your UNIT. While obstacles like fences or even trees may be cleared before delivery, there usually is no way around a limitation in height. We ask you to check this feasibility around your piece of land yourself before ordering. Please pay particular attention to tunnels, bridges or power lines. If in doubt, please contact us for an assessment. Our logistics partner will always analyse the rest of the route all the way from the factory towards you before heading out, and ensure no obstacles threaten the success of delivery.
2. The area needs to be large enough for a crane. Once your UNITs arrive at your property, they are lifted and set down by a crane. This crane needs to be stabilised with enough maneuvering space. The area required for the crane is approximately 8×8 metres. Both the truck and the crane are conducted by specialised companies who will take utmost care of both your UNITs and your land.
Every UNIT is custom-made; we don’t keep pre-produced houses on stock. This means that we produce your house upon your order; and you determine the moment you are ready for delivery. We then calculate backwards to start production just in time. We need a maximum of 12 weeks for production. This phase is a great time for you to prepare your site – see previous question. Once the production is finished, our logistics partners will pick up your UNIT or UNITs at the plant and transport them to your land. They will arrive on site on the agreed day, with one or multiple heavy trucks, adapted to both model and route. Our logistics team will also take care of lifting each UNIT off the truck, using a crane they bring. And they will set the UNITs down in the foundation that has been prepared for this (see previous question). The installation itself takes only a few hours and happens immediately upon arrival.
UNITs were created to withstand all climates and made to last for generations. We have selected premium materials, with a focus on long-lasting performance out in nature. The main structure of a UNIT, made from CLT, does not need any maintenance as it is protected by our special outer cladding. For this, we use a water and vapor membrane insulation plus expertly treated Thermowood – the highest industry standard that also is a very sustainable choice. This wood will not lose any of its quality properties. It will however change its color over time, as it is exposed to the elements. We consider this slowly emerging effect very beautiful: in our eyes, a UNIT only becomes more attractive over time and looks its best when “lived in” for some years. That said, like for any other high value product, we advise sporadic maintenance with a simple wood protector, at an interval of about 3 to 4 years, depending on where it will be installed and the level of sun exposure. Our specialised production partner offers this voluntary maintenance as a service.
The design of our UNITs is optimized for transportation, fully assembled. And since we recommend to not use any concrete foundation but our minimally invasive, reversive installation, you may choose to transport your UNIT on a flatbed trailer again at any time.