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"We
are
able
to erect
a four-storey
residential
building,
an office
building,
or a
hotel
within
a dozen
or so
days.
It takes
two
or three
days
to erect
a single-family
house,"
says
Mr.
Krzysz-tof
Olsza,
President
of the
Management
Board
of the
Buma
Free-Dom
Polska
S.A.
Please
excuse
me,
but
it sounds
like
a fable.
You
declare
that
you
are
able
to complete
a sin-gle-family
house,
an office
building
or a
hotel
on previously-made
foundations
in literally
several
days
only.
Krzysztof
Olsza:
Indeed,
that
seems
to be
a fable
or rather
a dream,
but
this
dream
may
come
true
before
our
eyes.
Why
so?
We have
a verified
product,
that
is a
volumetric
module,
which
constitutes
the
technological
and
structural
basis
for
the
patented
Buma
Free-Dom
System.
The
System
reduces
the
project
implementation
time,
but,
what
is equally
significant,
it guar-antees
the
supreme
quality
of the
building
execution.
The
Buma
System
S.A.
fabricates
their
buildings
in a
factory
and,
in addition,
under
a new
technology.
The
Buma
Group
has
been
operating
for
many
years.
We have
solid
experience.
Based
on our
own
technology,
we have
built
more
than
1.5
thousand
of apartments
and
several
hundred
of single-family
houses.
While
observing
the
market,
we came
to a
conclusion
that
it was
neces-sary
to approach
the
building
process
in the
same
way
as car
makers
do when
manufacturing
various
cars
on the
same
production
line.
We have
then
decided
to move
the
largest
possible
portion
of the
construction
process
to a
factory.
Advantages?
We are
independent
from
weather
conditions
and
we are
able
to get
a much
higher
quality
than
under
open-air
condi-tions.
We also
eliminate
material
waste,
while
site
activities
have
been
limited
to the
mini-mum.
Everyone
knows
that
those
factors
themselves
can,
to a
large
degree,
decide
on the
pro-ject
success.
Manufacturing
of buildings
in a
factory
is a
logical
solution.
The
basis
of our
system
is a
volumetric
module,
with
its
walls
made
of keramzyt
(concrete
made
of baked
clay
aggregate).
The
module
which
makes
up buildings
is a
rectangular
prism,
like
a large
truck
trailer.
Its
length
can
be up
to 13
m, while
its
width
can
reach
from
2.5
to 4.2
m. Of
course,
dimensions
depend
on the
design.
By
working
under
a modular
system,
it is
possible
to have
90-95%
of the
building
assembled
in the
factory.
That
practically
means
the
whole
building,
except
for
its
foundations.
Once
it arrives
on site,
the
building
is only
assembled,
with
the
use
of specialised
equipment
and
tools.
All
the
regular
operations
that
usually
take
so much
time
on site,
that
is all
finishing
works,
tile
glazing,
installing
sanitary
fixtures,
painting
etc.,
are
performed
in our
system
in the
factory.
The
same
about
elevations.
The
site
receives
complete
modules,
with
windows,
doors,
elevations,
painted
walls,
not
to mention
electrical,
water
and
natural
gas
installations.
Who
are
your
clients?
A
person
who
executes
his
or her
own
housing
project
may
not
order
such
a house
directly
from
us.
We deliver
volumetric
modules
when
ordered
by companies,
that
is legal
persons.
Those
companies
are
housing
developers,
commercial
developers
or any
other
businesses
that
deal
with
housing
projects
and
act
in the
capacity
of General
Contractors.
Once
they
become
our
authorised
partners,
they
build
houses
for
individual
customers.
What
is the
role
of those
companies
in the
project
investment
process?
Our
Partner
Companies
prepare
projects
on their
own,
collaborate
with
their
selected
archi-tects
who
provide
designs,
acquire
building
permits,
employ
civil
contractors
to make
founda-tions
and
utility
connections,
and
order
volumetric
modules
from
us.
We,
in turn,
manufacture
modules
in the
factory,
deliver
them
to the
site
and
assemble
the
whole
building.
Does
that
mean
that
you
are
not
manufacturing
identical,
typical
buildings?
Exactly.
As a
matter
of fact,
each
building
is designed
anew
and
can
be designed
by any
li-censed
architect.
Only
structural,
technological
and
organisational
solutions
are
copied.
Archi-tecture
does
not
tolerate
mass
production.
We know
it exactly.
But,
of course,
we strive
for
successful
design
solutions
to be
repeated,
especially
those
that
concern
functional
arrange-ments
of interiors.
Does
the
use
of volumetric
modules
limit
possible
architectural
solutions?
Every
system
is a
sort
of limitation.
But
when
we consider
it,
we find
out
that
the
majority
of buildings
all
over
the
world
have
premises
which
are
shaped
like
rectangular
prisms.
It is
not
easy,
but
a good
architect
can
design
a building
made
of volumetric
modules.
Moreover,
when
erecting
houses
with
more
complex
elements,
e.g.
gable
roofs,
dormers
etc.,
we apply
the
fully
verified
"Milokum"
system.
You
can
find
out
what
are
the
potentials
of the
designs
based
on volumetric
modules
if you
go through
the
catalogue
of new
architectural
conceptions
at www.buma.com.pl
Can
any
design
office
develop
buildings
under
the
Buma
Free-Dom
system?
Yes,
of course.
All
those
interested
receive
a "guidebook"
from
us and
are
provided
with
con-sultations.
We assist
architects
to make
the
preliminary
conception
of the
building
which
has
to fulfil
the
investor’s
requirements.
When
the
project
starts,
the
design
office
which
collabo-rates
with
us,
gets
a "preliminary
design"
from
us and,
based
on that
design,
they
prepare
all
the
documentation
necessary
to obtain
the
building
permit.
Aren’t
you
afraid
that
Poles,
notorious
for
their
conservatism,
will
approach
the
new
technol-ogy
with
distrust?
Not
at all.
The
buildings
that
we have
built
under
the
modular
system
prove
to be
excellent.
Our
clients
are
satisfied.
We know
that
our
buildings
have
won
their
approval.
Recently,
we have
given
up the
use
of steel
framework
structures,
and
investors
have
approved
the
keramzyt
concrete
technology.
Our
buildings
comply
with
all
technical
standards,
in particu-lar
those
related
to wall
insulation,
sound
proofing,
strength
and
fire
resistance
(the
heat
trans-fer
coefficient
is 0.20
W/m2*K).
Those
buildings
which
have
been
constructed
with
the
use
of volumetric
modules
can
hardly
be differentiated
from
the
traditional
ones.
Let
me only
mention
that,
following
our
project
to erect
a four-storey
multi-family
modular
building
in London
in July,
the
British
investor
requested
special
acoustic
tests
to be
carried
out,
and
it turned
out
that
our
parameters
highly
and
positively
impressed
our
British
partners.
The
buildings
complied
with
all
standards.
And
what
about
the
essential
issue
that
everybody
is interested
in?
I mean
the
costs.
We
don’t
have
any
price
lists.
Once
the
architectural
conception,
the
scope
of building
works
and
the
types
of materials
have
been
agreed
with
the
client,
we quote
the
price
of our
volu-metric
modules.
Prices
are
comparable
to those
of buildings
constructed
in a
traditional
way.
What
benefits
can
a developer
obtain
when
using
the
Buma
Free-Dom
System?
These
are
measurable
benefits.
Firstly,
the
investor
can
reduce
the
project
preparation
time
and
the
erection
time
itself.
Also,
priceless
is the
minimization
of the
financial
risk.
There
is no
concept
of "additional
works"
in our
system.
Prior
to the
actual
commencement
of the
pro-ject,
the
developer
knows
exactly
the
costs
of the
design
and
of the
construction.
On the
aver-age,
our
first
building
appears
in the
new
housing
estate
half
a year
earlier
than
in the
case
of those
constructed
in a
traditional
way.
What’s
the
benefit?
The
apartment
selling
process
gets
accelerated.
Clients
are
rather
unwilling
to buy
apartments
that
exist
on paper
only.
A com-pleted
building
starts
a good
sale.
Nowadays,
clients
don’t
want
to wait
lomg.
They
are
inter-ested
in short
move-in
terms.
What
are
the
future
plans
of the
Buma
Free-Dom
Polska
S.A.?
They
are
mainly
based
on our
export
projects.
We are
building
our
modular,
four-storey
struc-tures
in Great
Britain
presently.
The
London-based
design
office
of PCKO
Architects
collabo-rates
with
us.
In addition
to residential
buildings,
they
design
commercial
buildings,
too.
We are
entering
German,
Austrian
and
Norwegian
markets
with
single-family
houses
and
semi-detached
buildings.
Also,
a housing
estate
project
in Slovakia
is under
preparation.
And
what
about
Poland?
We
are
going
to establish
a network
of authorised
partners
for
the
Buma
Free-Dom
System
in Poland.
We also
count
on cooperation
with
housing
developers.
For
commercial
developers,
we are
preparing
four-storey
office
facilities,
with
lifts,
as well
as clinics
and
surgeries.
We invite
interested
businesses
to collaborate
with
us.
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