Hotel Built in Six Days

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:24:00 GMT

Have you ever heard of a 15-story building being constructed in less than one week? China’s Broad Group, with the goal of showcasing the efficiency and pure speed of its construction technology, accomplished such a feat in constructing the Ark Hotel in Changsha in less than six days. Well, kind of. The foundation and other below ground construction was completed before they started the clock, and the building was constructed from prefabricated parts which had already been manufactured off-site. Nevertheless, the speed with which the building was erected is very impressive.

While the speed of the construction allowed by this building technology will likely garner most of the attention, the technology is also important because of how environmentally friendly it is. In an industry that is making an effort to get greener, the energy efficiency, reduction in material use, and building waste minimization offered by the Broad Group’s technology should pique the interest of many in the construction industry worldwide. The company also champions its building methods as extremely safe for workers. Indeed, no workers were injured during the hotel’s construction.

The Chinese modular building technology could drive more efficient building techniques in the United States. The competition, which could be heightened by the willingness of the Chinese to finance construction in the US, could result in a disruptive change to both the design and construction industries in the US, where both design and construction rely on project-specific teams coming together for what is an inefficient process. In an age of global competition and clients looking for fast results at bargain prices, such a technological advancement could mean that US firms lose out on projects.

Schinnerer's RM Blog - modular tag

Hotel Built in Six Days