The tier one face-planting that has been occurring throughout our new post-pandemic life is sure to continue unless major tier one builders and developers don’t start changing the way they build, as they currently risk having the proverbial industry carpet pulled out from underneath them.
When Nonda Katsalidis, a brilliant Australian architect, pushed his Unitised Building (UB) system into the market over a decade ago, he received positive press. The system was a game changer, however as soon as it appeared, it was seemingly abandoned. Was it simply just the wrong time?
Whilst UB was certainly not without its faults and had a lot of hangers on it, it also had an extremely intelligent architect. Coupled with a passionate, albeit unorthodox but largely well-intended building firm, the problem wasn’t UB, but rather the industry. It just wasn’t ready for one of Katsalidis’ greatest creations.
In my humble opinion, if UB were still present in 2023 and continued to evolve to encompass flat-pack elements into its design composition, it would more than likely be one of the most dominant players in the market. If it were utilised today, it would be pushing the last few tier ones still clinging onto the post-pandemic scraps of the once powerful in-situ building and construction industry a lot harder than it did over a decade ago.
If builders want to survive, let alone thrive once more, prefabrication must now, more than ever before, surely be an option worth exploring.
Regardless of the cowboys that linger and bring negative press to our fantastic industry, the majority of our sector is clever. Our tradespeople, architects and engineers are world leaders. If these wonderful people and their many skills were able to go to work in the safety of a controlled environment that includes the infrastructural luxury that office workers have enjoyed for decades, surely productivity and the benefits that Katsalidis envisioned would help offset the problems that currently hinder our industry.
The post-pandemic environment has kicked open the gate for new and additional complimentary ways of going to work to enter the fray. The new environment has also brought with it heightened material costs, insurance company hikes and adverse psychological effects on project management.
However, if you take the time to list out the pros and cons of prefabricated construction, then compare it to the status quo, you’ll quickly see the time for UB is 2023 – assuming you know how to use a calculator.
Whilst a volumetric system alone probably won’t cut it in 2023, when one combines the flat pack methods to wet area volumetric, nothing else makes sense.
You never want a crisis to go to waste. We have the skills and abilities to capitalise upon the current “crisis” now. Aussies and Kiwis are natural born innovators – a built-in trait that exists in most of us. We have the capacity and lessons taught by beautiful minds like Katsalidis to lift and address the issues that hamper our two wonderful countries.
Wherever Katsalidis is these days, I wish he were here as I not only miss designing with my dear friend, but his wonderful vision for the future of our country was far more advanced and ahead of its time. 2023 is that time now.
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Through utilising and peeking into the original vision of UB, we can address homelessness, lack of rental properties, housing affordability, climate change, material costs and labour shortages.
Let’s leave our egos at the door and take a good hard look before we keep repeating the mistakes of the past.
