ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO CONSTRUCTION
We were invited to an interesting challenge of preparing typical solutions for steel prefab structures in cooperation with a construction company. The modern system represents an alternative approach to construction, which in terms of its structure system resembles a classic wooden skeleton structure. The steel system allows for larger spans and quick execution, which offers more variety in building design. The structure made of cold-formed steel profiles allows it to be carried out all year round. The material also ensures a longer lifespan than e.g. a wooden supporting structure.
The load-bearing capacity of the material enables not only the design of smaller residential houses but also typical construction, which can be enhanced into row houses or larger residential neighborhoods. The use is not limited to the residential theme, there is also a lot of potential for usage in industrial buildings such as warehouses, factories, and halls.
FIRST STEPS
Prefab steel construction is already known and tested around the world, but it is still quite unknown in Slovenia, so one of the goals was to present the system to the potential client in the clearest way possible. For this purpose, a website will be set up, where all information about the construction and contacts of the contractor can be found.
A large part of our assignment was consequently based on the preparation of material for the website. Together with the client, we first set clear guidelines for how he wants to present the material. To start the project, we always define all wishes and conversations at meetings with the help of project tasks, which facilitates easier communication and project planning.
The first step for our familiarization with the system, as well as for the actual presentation on the website, was to use realistic materials to show the basic composition of construction assemblies, typical of the construction method. The compositions ensure high-quality thermal and sound insulation, and the skeleton construction enables thinner walls compared to classic masonry or reinforced concrete walls and slabs, as part of the insulation is already in the same layer as the main supporting structure.
SKELETAL STEEL CONSTRUCTION
One of the main questions when learning about new and alternative construction techniques is what is its basic structural system. For the clearest possible answer, we have presented a single-family house, which from the same view first shows only its skeletal steel structure and the finished house with all the layers and facade. We can see that the steel structure does not affect the appearance of the house itself, but allows for larger spans and faster construction.
The building system allows for an extremely wide variety of building typologies, such as gables, flat roofs, and possibilities of various overhangs and spans. Five basic types of houses will be presented on the web page, which can be adjusted if desired since there are really few restrictions on the presented construction method.
PRESENTATION VIDEO
For the purpose of as clear a presentation as possible, we also prepare animated videos of the exterior and interior of buildings, where by assembling layers, loading elements, or flying through the objects, the project is presented vividly and the system is quickly introduced. We also produced an introductory video for the presented project, where the construction process with a steel skeleton structure from the foundation slab to the final layer is shown on the example of a house. In half a minute, the viewer is quickly and efficiently introduced to the system without any necessary reading or research.
