Modular vs On-Site Construction.

A deep dive analysis into construction methodologies.

The building industry is static.
It’s time to change that.

The proliferation of the digital era has changed the way we design and build cars, airplanes, and ships -- but the building industry has largely remained unchanged. We’re continuing to use methods that were familiar to us hundreds of years prior, before the invention of the iPhone and the computer.

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Faster. Full stop.

The most obvious advantage to modular construction is the ability to parallel process. There aren’t any weather delays, but at VBC we’ve added additional innovation to make our production line faster.

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Increased certainty

Certainty isn’t an adjective typically associated with the construction industry, but that doesn’t have to be the case. VBC has de-risked our supply chain by partnering directly with commodity manufacturers.

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Better buildings

High end performance comes standard with modular construction. The integration of advanced technologies  may reduce total energy use by 50 percent when compared to comparable site-built construction. Just 30% improvement could mean savings of $1,000 per unit annually.

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More sustainable

Since few materials are wasted, stolen, or damaged when stored in a factory this reduces waste and make things greener, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

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Improved efficiencies

Enhanced reliance on machinery naturally increases efficiency. Machines can be set and programmed to perform the same act repeatedly and deliver with a consistency and accuracy that humans can’t match.

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Flexible designs

VBC offers a productized approach to housing development with a standard catalog of units. This not only expedites design time, but allows VBC to continually innovate and improve our product offerings.

MODULAR VS. ON-SITE CONSTRUCTION

Here’s why off-site construction will always be faster than on-site construction:

Rain or shine, sleet or snow, our factory keeps building. In geographies with harsh weather conditions and a short building window, this delivers big benefits.

With on-site construction, you can’t install plaster board and pour the foundation on the same day. There are significant time savings from parallel processing site work and modules simultaneously.

Additionally, our furniture and fitout subsidiary ensures your modules are delivered onsite with all fixtures and fittings – significantly reducing onsite fitout time and the number of trades needed.

MODULAR VS. ON-SITE CONSTRUCTION

Can certainty and construction exist in the same sentence? Absolutely.

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Greater supply chain control and purchasing insights.

VBC has partnered directly with commodity manufacturers to cut out the distributors and representatives. This not only keeps costs more affordable but allows VBC greater control over the supply chain and better insights into purchasing. 

This is only possible because VBC has brand standards that are consistent across projects. VBC orders in high volumes of supplies, for example, VBC, has partnered directly with a gypsum manufacturer to utilize their boards and our assemblies directly. This allows us to cut out distributors and manufacturing reps. 

When you’ve manufactured more than 6,500 units that’s significant savings and increased supply chain certainty.

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Modular tolerances so precise it’s like putting together 10m Lego blocks

Enhanced reliance on machinery naturally increases certainty. Machines can be set and programmed to perform the same act repeatedly and deliver with a consistency and accuracy that humans can’t match.

Automation and robotics can also deliver a level of efficiency impossible to achieve otherwise. We can produce one wall every 7 minutes with 5 people. On site, the same wall would take 32 minutes to complete.

WHY IS OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION SUSTAINABLE?

We recycle like the earth depends on it.

Keeping 1 ton of lumber per day out of landfills. VBC is working with a circular economy partner to upcycle lumber cutoffs into studs and engineered wood.

We recycle 420 tons of drywall annually. That’s the equivalent of 10 herds of elephants. Drywall offcuts go to a drywall producer who grinds it up and reuses it.

We recycle all our steel scrap. A single project can generate up to 10 tons of steel scrap. None of that goes to waste with our recycling process.