Greener Buildings? Move to modular

Ways of helping the environment.

3 min read | Matt Goff | January 2018

Becoming ‘greener’

There has recently been a big focus on everybody becoming ‘greener’ and improving their carbon footprints, leading changes in our lifestyles. But there are also other ways of helping the environment that people may not be aware of.

Modular buildings are greener, and a large step forward towards improving sustainability compared to traditional methods.

Here’s why:

  • Offsite construction results in less pollution

    • Modular buildings are constructed offsite which offers numerous benefits. One of these benefits is that it causes less pollution when compared to traditional methods with less traffic in and out of site.

    As modular buildings are constructed in a factory, many of the materials that are used in the construction process are reused and properly disposed of when they’re no longer needed. As a result, there are less harmful materials left behind like there can be with onsite construction. The possibility of pollution is greatly reduced, making it the best option.

    • Materials can be recycled and reused

      • The framing used in our modular buildings is made of steel. A strong and surprisingly light material which holds many benefits over traditional structures. As it’s particularly resilient, steel does not deteriorate or rot over time. Making it a good choice of building material.

      Steel is a recyclable material. This means that one piece of steel can be used time and time again in a wide range of different projects. In fact, a large percentage of new steel production is completed using recycled steel. How does this fact mean that modular buildings are green? If you decide in the future that you don’t want your modular building it can be deconstructed, and components such as the steel can be reused, meaning less waste.

      • Less waste 

        • Offsite construction makes the modular build process considerably quicker than it is for traditional buildings. With less work conducted onsite, labour requirements are noticeably lower, there are less wasted materials. When construction is completed in a factory, we only use exactly what we need, minimising waste. Any other waste can either be recycled or used as fuel.

        • Carbon reduction

          • Modular buildings tend to have better thermal insulation compared to traditional methods. Long-term, this means lower requirements for heating. With lower requirements, less energy is used resulting in a reduction in carbon emissions. This is more beneficial to the environment and to those using the buildings, as it also reduces energy bills!

          Summary

          Modular buildings are the ‘greener’ option.

          • Results in less pollution and emissions than traditional methods
          • Materials can be reused when the modular construction is deconstructed
          • Less waste

            • If more people owned and used modular buildings, this would lessen our impact on the environment. Improving sustainability, reducing emissions and ensuring a better future for our planet. Find out how sustainable Thurston’s is. 

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