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The
building
erected
in the
London
district
of Stockwell
represents
technology
that
suits
requirements
set
by the
world’s
largest
urban
agglomerations.
In a
way,
that
project
has
a symbolic
meaning
for
the
presence
of the
Polish
construction
industry
in the
united
Europe.
Modules
brought
from
Kraków
were
erected
in Stockwell
in four
days,
to form
an imposing,
four-storey
residential
building.
The
British
press
has
broadly
commented
upon
the
issue.
"The
facility
which
was
constructed
in a
period
by 14
months
shorter
cost
by as
much
as 210,000
pounds
less
than
buildings
made
of traditional
materials,"
wrote
Martin
Spring
in Building,
a professional
construction
magazine.
Each
day
the
daily
press
published
reports
on the
erection
of subsequent
modules.
The
British,
and
especially
the
London
real
estate
market
is exceptionally
demanding,
both
in relation
to investors
and
to persons
interested
in the
rental
or purchase
of flats.
This
results,
first
of all,
from
the
lack
of available,
free
space
for
the
construction
of new
housing
projects
and
from
very
high
prices
of building
plots
that
have
been
maintained
for
years.
One
square
metre
of land
in the
Barling
Court
area,
where
they
constructed
a residential
building
of volumetric
modules,
fabricated
by Kraków-based
BUMA
SA,
costs
about
30,000
pounds.
Homes
for
Key
Workers
The
dynamic
growth
of large
urban
agglomerations,
where
the
type
of development
has
been
changing
radically
for
dozens
of years,
forces
interest
in modern
technologies,
which
make
it possible
to construct
such
structures,
easy
to assemble
and
disassemble
that,
if necessary,
can
be moved
into
any
other,
available
place.
No wonder
that
to the
seemingly
conservative
British
(London,
just
like
other
UK cities,
is a
giant
construction
site
in which
the
most
modern
materials
and
technologies
are
being
applied),
homes
from
the
Kraków
plant
of the
Buma
Group
are
an attractive
proposal.
The
local
press
draws
attention
to economic
advantages
of the
Buma
Free-Dom
module
building
technology,
as authored
in Kraków.
Low
project
implementation
cost
is directly
translated
into
the
rent
amounts,
which,
in the
case
of single-bedroom
flats,
are
100
pounds
a week,
while
double-bedroom
flat
rents
are
148
pounds
a week
(in
tenement
buildings,
free-market
rents
can
be 2-
or even
2.5
times
higher).
Still,
such
a privilege
is for
the
few:
the
building
will
be inhabited
by key
workers,
that
is nurses,
policemen,
teachers
or firefighters,
appointed
by the
district
council,
whose
presence
in large
city
centres
is indispensable
from
the
social
point
of view.
The
importance
of the
event
my be
proved
by the
visit
paid
to the
site
by the
UK minister
of housing,
Mr.
Keith
Hill,
on the
last
day
of erection
(commenced
on July
19 and
completed
on July
24).
Mr Hill
said:
"We
want
to build
more
homes
and
in a
shorter
time.
It is
fantastic
to watch
modern,
innovative
construction
forms
which,
at the
same
time,
are
characterised
by very
interesting
designs.
The
presence
of the
Polish
company
is the
evidence
of transformations
that
took
place
following
the
European
integration
processes."
Design
by RIBA
Award
Winners
The
interesting
architectural
shape
of the
module
building
constructed
in Barling
Court,
Stockwell,
has
been
designed
by the
London-based
PCKO
Architects
office,
established
by two
graduates
of the
Kraków
Polytechnic,
namely
Mr.
Andrzej
Ogorzałek
and
Mr.
Piotr
Chłapowski.
During
the
period
of 22
years,
PCKO
Architects
won
a high
position
on the
British
market,
additionally
strengthened
by RIBA
awards
for
the
most
interesting
housing
designs
(Crystal
Palace,
Swansea
Foyer,
New
Hall,
Harlow,
Chatham,
and
others.)
"The
London
project
has
got
very
good
marks
from
professionals
who
emphasised,
among
other
things,
a very
high
quality
of the
building,
obtained
thanks
to the
Polish
systemic
solutions,"
stresses
Architect
Ogorzałek.
For
the
first
time,
it was
possible
to design
and
construct
a multi-storey
building,
fully
finished
and
furnished
outside
the
construction
site.
Also
future
tenants
are
fully
satisfied
with
an interesting
flat
layout
and
furnishing:
bathroom
ceramic
ware,
windows
and
doors,
IKEA
floor
finish
and
kitchen
cabinets,
as well
as wide
balconies
with
sliding
sunshade
screens.
To
the
investor
–
The
Hyde
Group,
a large
public
institution
that
manages
over
80,000
flats
in London
–
this
is only
the
beginning
of cooperation.
"The
second
facility
will
be constructed
in Wyndham
Road,
and
another
one
in Linghman
Street,"
declares
Mr.
Charlie
Adams,
Hyde’s
President.
"And
we are
holding
talks
with
the
municipal
council
of Lambeth,
concerning
the
next
building,"
he adds.
The
implementation
of the
housing
project,
based
on volumetric
modules
fabricated
in Kraków,
has
been
a great
logistic
venture.
The
Stockwell
building
travelled
1,800
km.
"Modules,
trucked
on big
trailers,
crossed
the
English
Channel
and,
when
on the
other
bank,
were
loaded
onto
trucks
adjusted
to the
left-hand
traffic,"
emphasises
Mr.
Jacek
Michalski,
Chief
Executive
of Buma
Free-Dom
central
office.
"Erection
was
another
difficult
stage
of the
operation,
since
the
building
was
to be
erected
in four
days
only,
in a
district
of tight,
infill
building
development."
The
Buma
Free-Dom
technology,
patented
also
abroad,
makes
it possible
to construct
small,
single-
and
multi-family
houses,
as well
as office
buildings.
The
newly
established
company
of Free
Dom
Systems
UK,
with
its
seat
in London,
handles
consulting
and
coordination
of volumetric
module
projects.
"This
has
been
the
launching
of a
new
stage
in the
operation
of our
company,"
says
Mr.
Michalski.
"By
developing
that
facility,
we have
proved
that
one
can
export
construction
services
to a
very
remote
country,
where
labour
and
general
costs
are
much
higher.
At the
same
time,
we are
the
only
company
in the
world
that
owns
such
a mature
construction
technology
and
is capable
of offering
full
parameter
buildings,
which
also
are
easy
to disassemble.
Owing
to that,
after
10-20
years,
our
buildings
may
be moved
into
other
places.
We do
not
design
the
buildings
ourselves.
In our
opinion,
as confirmed
by the
cooperation
with
PCKO
Architects,
authors
of designs
should
be local
architectural
offices,
which
know
specifics
of the
area,
as well
as expectations
of investors
and
future
tenants.
We,
on our
part,
offer
verified
and
repeatable
technological,
structural
and
organisational
solutions."
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