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Modular
houses
manufactured
in Kraków
raise
interest
also
beyond
Poland.
The
example
of many
countries,
e.g.
Finland,
which
achieved
a striking
success
in telecommunications,
as well
as Ireland
and
Spain,
which
manufacture
high-quality
automotive
subassemblies,
show
that
also
Polish
companies
may
contribute
significantly
to the
development
of integrated
world
economy.
The
business
results
of the
FAKRO
from
Nowy
Sącz,
the
world’s
second
largest
manufacturer
of roof
windows,
or of
the
ATLAS
from
Gdańsk,
entering
the
Western
European
markets
and
establishing
its
own
plant
in Russia,
are
positive
proofs
of Polish
entrepreneurship.
Are
we able
to say
anything
new
in the
field
of house
building
technology?
Everything
seems
to indicate
that
we have
more
to say.
Last
week,
a group
of a
dozen
or so
representatives
of leading
London
house
building
companies,
as well
as representatives
of local
governments,
visited
Kraków.
The
British
were
interested
in the
technology
of volumetric
module
house
building,
which
technology
was
developed
here
in Kraków.
Flats
for
the
Metropolis
The
concept
of houses
constructed
of repeatable
elements,
which
was
developed
in the
Buma
System
S.A.,
has
been
very
positively
assessed
by British
specialists.
Representatives
of three
major
investment
groups,
the
Hyde
Housing
Group,
the
Southern
Housing
Trust,
and
the
Horizon
Housing
Trust,
visited
Kraków.
Mr.
Charlie
Adams,
President
of the
HHG,
which,
among
other
things,
administers
18,000
flats
and
is involved
in the
rehabilitation
of large
housing
complexes,
is a
renowned
British
authority
in the
field
of construction.
"The
construction
market
in London
is one
of the
most
demanding
ones,"
he says.
"First
of all,
the
city
has
very
limited
territorial
development
potentials.
It is
estimated
that
only
ca.
5% of
new
land
can
be acquired
for
building
purposes.
That
is why
proper
management
of the
existing
resources
and
application
of technologies
that
allow
implementation
of new
housing
projects
in short
time
are
of critical
importance.
The
real
estate
line
in London
is shaped
by the
demographic
situation,
First
of all,
by the
growing
number
of small,
often
single-person
households,
which
results
in the
constantly
increasing
demand
for
flats.
The
data
provided
by Mr.
Adams
specify
that
only
in London
itself,
which
is inhabited
by 7
million
people,
the
number
of residents
will
increase
by as
many
as 3
million
new
residents
within
the
next
20 years.
The
Solutions
offered
by the
Buma
raised
interest
of the
London-based
PCKO
Architects.
During
their
visit
to Kraków,
the
design
office
was
represented
by Mr.
Andrew
Ogorzałek,
an architect
of Polish
descent.
"We
have
been
operating
on the
hermetic
British
market
for
22 years,"
stressed
Mr.
Ogorzałek,
"designing
both
single-family
and
multi-family
facilities,
renowned
for
their
innovation
and
awarded
with
numerous
prizes.
Our
talks
to the
British
partners
demonstrated
that
they
were
looking
for
a technology
which
would
make
it possible
to build
modern,
high-quality
houses."
"The
idea
of building
houses
in Lambeth
in London
raises
controversies
on the
British
market,"
said
Mr.
Adams.
"After
our
return
to London,
I will
have
to justify,
during
a special
conference,
why
we plan
to use
foreign
solutions."
The
concept
of modular
houses
is the
extension
of the
framework
house
technology
that
has
been
developed
by BUMA
since
the
beginning
of their
operation.
"This
is another
stage
of our
activity,"
emphasised
Mr.
Jacek
Michalski,
the
founder
of the
Company.
"During
the
first
stage,
we constructed
single-family
houses
that
were
characterised
by low
level
of prefabrication.
In the
second
stage,
which
began
in 1989,
we originated
the
Milokum
system,
which
enables
us to
build
four-storey
multi-family
buildings.
Under
that
system,
the
prefabrication
process
includes,
among
other
things,
such
elements
as structural
ceilings,
load-bearing
walls,
staircases
and
balconies.
The
technology
applied
by the
Buma
made
it possible
to built
the
"Pod
Klombami"
housing
estate
(445
flats),
which
was
one
of the
projects
visited
by our
guests
from
Britain."
Manufacturing
Quality
The
development
of the
Free-Dom
technology,
single-family
houses
composed
of four
volumetric
modules,
had
a landmark
significance.
The
house,
which
was
exhibited
for
the
first
time
during
the
last
year’s
BUDMA
fair
in Poznań,
travelled
form
Kraków
to Poznań
and
back
and,
as they
were
joking
in the
Buma,
its
"mileage
counter"
recorded
almost
1,200
kilometres.
Ready-made
houses
are
not
a Polish
invention
(they
are
known
in Germany
as Fertighaus,
while
in the
U.S.A.
they
are
called
Mobilhomes).
The
Polish
modular
house
is said
to be
distinguished
by its
elaborated
and
continuously
improved
technology.
The
basis
for
the
concept
is the
belief
that,
owing
to its
mass
production,
a home
can
be as
affordable
as much
more
technically
complicated
cars
or TV
sets.
"Large-scale
production
allows
to reduce
costs,
and,
in the
case
of houses
manufactured
in the
factory,
it is
easier
to get
a very
high
quality,"
declared
Mr.
Michalski.
In
Lambeth,
which
is on
the
central
districts
of London,
a three-storey
residential
building
made
of volumetric
modules,
with
18 flats,
will
be constructed
in the
first
project
stage.
In the
Buma’s
plant
in Kraków,
the
British
guests
saw
one
of the
first
modules
for
that
18-flat
facility,
as ordered
by a
British
investor.
Such
a unit
contains
a fully
furnished
bathroom,
a kitchen,
as well
as a
living
room
and
a bedroom,
with
carpet
floor
finish.
"We
are
able
to manufacture
such
a building
within
a month.
However,
the
production
volume
depends
solely
on the
order
size,
since
we are
able
to multiply
it,
if the
need
be,"
stressed
Mr.
Michalski.
Completed
volumetric
modules
(each
of them
is insulated
with
mineral
wool
and
plastered)
will
be brought
to London
on special
wheeled
trailers
(the
short
side
of the
module
is 3.2
m; any
wider
elements
would
have
to be
transported
in specially
marked
convoys
only).
When
on site,
the
modules
will
be assembled
with
the
use
of a
crane
only.
"We
came
to Poland
with
a very
specific
intention,"
said
Mr.
Adams.
"We
have
in London
two
plots
of land
designated
for
the
Buma’s
buildings,
one
in Lambeth
and
one
in Southwark.
It is
not
out
of question
that
our
co-operation
may
be expanded
by new
projects."
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