|
The
Małopolska
Region
in the
European
Union
A
Company
from
Kraków
is a
Market
Hit
in the
UK
The
Buma
System
S.A.
has
patented
a novelty
technology
which
allows
for
relocation
of several-storey
buildings
from
place
to place.
The
Company
from
Kraków
is selling
its
mobile
houses
in London,
but
also
does
its
best
to acquire
EU funding
for
increasing
its
competitive
edge
since
even
the
Chinese
are
interested
in the
licence
acquisition.
The
British
media,
including
BBC,
announced
a revolution
in the
construction
industry
earlier
in the
summer
when
they
published
reports
from
the
construction
site,
or rather
the
assembly
site,
of a
three-storey
building
at Barling
Court,
Stockwell.
Six
Buma
workers
were
assembling
one
storey
a day:
all
ready-made
with
elevations,
services,
bathrooms
and
kitchens,
and
equipped
with
IKEA
furniture.
After
four
days,
the
eight-flat
building
was
ready,
and
the
first
tenants
moved
a month
later.
No
Competitors
"We
are
able
to assemble
such
a building
within
four
days,
while
our
competitors
complete
all
elevation
works
on site,
and,
consequently,
their
operations
take
much
more
time,"
boasts
Mr.
Jacek
Michalski,
the
Executive
Director
of the
Buma
System
S.A.
And
he really
means
it.
"Based
on regular
questions
and
interest
in the
Buma
Free-Dom
system,
we expect
to receive
orders
for
about
150
flats
a year.
Such
a positive
reaction
of the
London
market
is certainly
a result
of the
first
Barling
Court
project"
said
Mr.
Mike
Kirk,
the
Development
Director
of the
Hyde
Group,
the
British
partner
of the
Buma,
during
the
building
hand-over
celebration
in November.
Entering
the
London
market
required
ideal
precision
of construction,
first
in the
Plant,
where
a rectangular
prism
frame
is made
of steel
sections,
filled
with
insulation,
plastered
and
painted,
equipped
with
windows
and
doors,
and
covered
by carpeting
inside.
Such
ground-floor
modules
are
attached
to galvanised
anchors
on the
foundation
footing,
and
later
new
modules
are
put
on top
or next
to each
other.
They
are
bolted
again,
with
the
tolerance
of +/-
2 mm.
It is
not
easy
to maintain
such
an engineering
procedure.
When
the
modules
from
Kraków
arrived
in London,
people
found
that
the
plastic
pipes
planted
in the
building’s
footing
did
not
match
the
holes
in the
Building,
and
cast
concrete
had
to be
demolished
to relocate
service
connections,
which
took
another
day.
"We
offer
the
product
which
is not
available
anywhere
else
in the
world.
Our
building
presents
the
parameters
of a
regular
house,
and
it can
still
be dismounted
and
relocated
many
times.
Therefore,
you
can
put
it up
on temporarily
available
land,
which
does
not
have
to be
a very
short
time.
Many
companies
are
trying
to do
something
like
that,
but
our
technology
has
been
evaluated
as the
most
mature
with
respect
to accuracy,
quality
and
mobility,"
said
Mr.
Michalski.
There
is,
however,
one
more
interesting
issue:
the
price
of 1,260
pounds
for
a square
metre.
It is
12%
less
than
the
traditional
building
technology
or 20%
less
in comparison
to other
modular
systems
offered
in the
United
Kingdom.
Defending
Europe
Land
is so
expensive
in London
that
the
local
developers
decide
to build
houses
on temporarily
available
land,
e.g.
on the
area
designed
for
the
second
runway
of the
Gatwick
Airport
in the
future.
The
technology
is not
meant
only
for
residential
buildings.
The
Buma
has
also
been
requested
to design
modular
office
buildings,
with
the
floor
area
of 200-500
square
metres.
That
solution
is attractive
for
the
companies
which
do not
want
to rent
expensive
premises
in huge
office
buildings,
but
prefer
to be
located
in their
own
self-contained
buildings,
without
neighbours.
The
export
expansion
is costly,
in fact.
"The
building’s
structure
contains
double
ceilings
and
walls
required
for
structural
stiffness
that
allows
the
modules
to be
transported
on truck
at the
distance
of e.g.
two
thousand
kilometres.
And
that
is an
additional
cost.
However,
we manufacture
our
modules
in Poland
where
materials
are
a bit
cheaper
and
labour
is much
cheaper.
Presently,
we are
still
investing,
and
we are
not
profitable,"
explained
Mr.
Michalski.
"Only
a large-scale
production
will
allow
us to
reduce
costs,
and
that
is why
we are
constructing
the
first
assembly
line
in the
Buma,
just
like
in an
automobile
plant,"
he added.
Owing
to such
companies
as the
Buma,
Poland
will
certainly
find
its
place
in Europe.
"We
benefit
from
our
EU membership.
Our
trucks
can
easily
travel
across
Europe,
and
the
invoicing
system
is easier
than
before,
as well.
Our
project
is innovative
and
it requires
a number
of capital
projects,
e.g.
in the
production
process,
automation
and
robotics.
For
that
reason,
we will
apply
for
EU funds
to improve
our
competitive
edge,"
said
Mr.
Michalski.
"We
have
strong
assets
on our
side.
Even
the
Chinese
are
interested
in the
new
technology
and
are
applying
for
a licence.
Presently,
they
conduct
financial
calculations
on the
economy
of deliveries
of such
buildings
to Europe
by sea,"
revealed
Mr.
Michalski.
Hopefully,
the
Polish
companies
will
earn
before
the
Chinese
saturate
Europe
with
their
products.
By
Paweł
Jasica
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