February 2014 Newsletter
PrefabAUS News
Welcome to our February Newsletter!
PrefabAUS continues to grow and we are delighted to welcome the following new Members:
Member organisations: 1Space, Adaptive Projects, House of Parts, Hayball, and The Buchan Group
Individual members: Juliet Howell and Bruno Santi
Do you have an idea for a PrefabAUS event? We'd love to hear ideas for events that are consistent with our mission of showcasing and advancing the Industry.
If you know someone who would like to subscribe to our Newsletter, they can do that here.
Do you like the banner image? This photo was taken at last year's PrefabNZ Conference in New Plymouth, New Nealand.
Photo by Sarah Backhouse.
PrefabAUS and ZEMCH Study Tour to Japan
PrefabAUS is excited to be collaborating with the international research group Zero Energy Mass Custom Home (ZEMCH) on organising a Study Tour to Japan from 21 - 25 July 2014.
Delegates will learn aboutJapanese prefabrication and manufacturing processes, architectural design integration, and mass customisation among other things, and consider how these may apply to the Australian context.
Does this sound of interest?
If so, please contact sarah@prefabaus.org.au for further information.
PrefabAUS is going to China
PrefabAUS will be representing the Australian prefabrication Industry at the 4th China Prefab House Fair to be held in Guangzhou from May 12 - 14, 2014.
This represents an exciting opportunity to promote the great prefab talent and innovation in Australia, while also gaining a greater understanding of the Chinese prefab market that is growing at an exponential rate.
Growing the local building manufacturing sector
Academic on-line journal The Conversation has profiled the rise of the prefabricated construction industry in Australia in a recent article by Professor Peter Newman and Jemma Green of Curtin University.
The article highlights that building manufacturing has an important role to play in reinvigorating our manufacturing sector, in particular the opportunity for re-skilling of the automative manufacturing industry to building manufacturing. The postive impact of such transitions could have wide spread benefits when we consider that the construction sector in Australia represents approximately 7.8% of GDP.
PrefabAUS at upcoming events
March 2014 is a big month for events!
PrefabAUS will have Industry representatives speaking at 3 events:Heavy Lift and Transportation 2014 in Brisbane; Health Facilities Design and Development 2014 in Sydney; and the PrefabNZ 2014 Conference in Auckland. We'd love to speak with you if you can join us.
See our Diary listings for dates and locations.
Some events for the diary
March 2014
Robots - Past and Future - Technical Presentation
Engineers Australia
Engineering House, 447 Upper Edward Street, Brisbane, 5:30 - 7pm, Wednesday 5 March
Green Cities 2014
Grand Hyatt, Melbourne, 18 March 2014
Heavy Lift and Transportation 2014
Rydges Southbank, Brisbane, 26 - 28 March, 2014
Multi-Unit Residential Development Conference
Property Council of Australia
9am - 4pm, Hyatt Regency Perth, 26 March
Health Facilities Design and Development 2014
Australian Technology Park, Sydney, 25 - 27 March 2014
PrefabNZ 2014 Conference
Auckland, 26 – 28 March 2014
Please note that PrefabAUS Members will be able to register at PrefabNZ Member rates.
April 2014
Residential Development and Urban Integration 2014
Sebel Surry Hills, Sydney, 29 - 30 April 2014
May 2014
Frame Australia Conference and Exhibition
Park Hyatt, Melbourne, 19 May 2014
Other News
PrefabAUS Member David Chandler has been developing a Construction Roadmap that envisages a critical role for off-site construction in Australia's future. He highlights both challenges and opportunities, and a clear message is that the time for growing our industry is now.
As of Monday 24 February, PrefabAUS Member BRB Modular is now rebranded under the name Fleetwood. This is to further align itself to parent company Fleetwood Corporation, a company that is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary.
In past Newsletters we have included links to articles that show that prefab in Australia is gaining traction;
The Financial Times recently profiled the growing interest in building prefabrication as an approach for high quality, high value homes.
Urban commentary website https://www.urban.com.au/ recently ran an editorial on the links between automative and building manufacturing, prompted byNewman and Green's article in The Conversation mentioned earlier.
PrefabNZ Conference 2014
The PrefabNZ Conference 2014 is taking place 26 - 28 March 2014 in Auckland.
The Conference theme will be exploring the role of prefabricated building technologies in future proofingthe Auckland housing situation. Speakers include PrefabAUS Members David Chandler and Rob Colquhuon.
Please note that PrefabAUS Members will be able to register at PrefabNZ Member rates. Yes, that's a 50% discount! Please quote the number on your Membership invoice.
Be inspired by what's happening across the Tasman!
International News
Lloyd Alter of on-line site Tree Hugger started his career working for a modular housing company in Canada, and moved on to writing as he was uncertain of the industry's future. His feels confident to now say that prefab is mainstream in North America., and laments that perhaps he left the prefab industry too soon...
International events for the diary
March 2014
San Antonio, Texas, USA
World of Modular 2014
March 21 – 24 2014
Calgary, Canada
Modular Construction & Prefabrication Summit 2014
31 March - 02 April
May 2014
Guangzhou, China
4th China Prefab House Fair
May 12 - 14 2014
Hilton Portland & Executive Tower, Portland, Oregon, USA
Living Future 2014
May 21 - 23 2014
June 2014
Londrina, Brazil
ZEMCH 2014 International Conference
4th - 6th June 2014
Last Word
The International Energy Agency's 2011 Design Guide on the use of prefabricated building components forretrofitting existing buildings demonstrates that the building prefabrication industry can offer solutions beyond new construction, and also assist in improving the comfort and energy performance of our existing building stock.