Modular builds seen as future of construction

GUANGZHOU — The construction of a 19-story hotel in Brisbane, Australia, was no ordinary project, as much of it had already been built thousands of kilometers away, inside a factory in South China.

Its room modules arrived with walls, pipes, wiring and interior fittings largely completed, allowing the building to be assembled at a pace of roughly one floor every four to five days. The project was delivered by Foshan Meizong Buildings Technology Co Ltd, a firm based in the city of Foshan, Guangdong province. It reflects a broader shift in the industry, with more work that once had to be done at a construction site now being completed on a factory floor.

Inside Meizong's workshop, automated cutters slice steel tubes to precise dimensions as workers weld structural joints. Assembly teams install wall panels and lay utility lines. In the finished-goods area, dozens of units stand ready for shipment, with kitchens, bathrooms, lighting and sockets already fitted.

More than 90 percent of the work can be completed in the factory, while delivery takes only about one-third of time needed for conventional construction, according to Pang Mingyuan, the company's general manager.

Modular housing is gaining acceptance in markets such as Australia and New Zealand, where conventional construction faces high labor costs, lengthy building cycles and weather-related disruptions, while housing remains scarce in some remote areas, Pang added.

Foshan alone is home to more than 300 exporters of prefabricated buildings. Across the industry, modular structures are being used for hotels, dormitories and offices, while some manufacturers are branching into customized outdoor spaces.

At SunnyJoy Intelligent Technology Co Ltd, the glass roof of a modular outdoor room slides open under electric power. Made up of 13 modules, the structure attracted attention at the 139th Canton Fair in Guangzhou earlier this year.

"Three adults can assemble it in two and a half hours by following an installation video," said Zhang Yong, the company's general manager.

The company's products sell well in North America and Oceania, while emerging markets in Africa and Southeast Asia are also growing rapidly. Social media has become an important source of overseas customers: SunnyJoy has built a following of around 10 million across domestic and overseas platforms, with online channels generating more than half of its customer inquiries.

Behind such products is the Pearl River Delta's manufacturing network. Zhang said a single outdoor structure can involve dozens of suppliers, with everything from frames and worktops to drive systems and lighting sourced within the region.

That proximity allows manufacturers to adjust designs, upgrade components and respond quickly to changing customer requests. As products become more integrated, companies are also expanding into higher-value offerings that incorporate solar glass, energy storage and intelligent control systems.

At a modular factory in the Shenshan Special Cooperation Zone, laser cutting, automated welding and intelligent assembly work in coordination. A digital management system links design, procurement and production, generating material lists and processing drawings from design plans.

Its standardized production system can turn out a wall in 12 minutes and a room module in two hours. The facility has an annual capacity of up to 30,000 units and can produce different types of building modules in parallel according to project needs.

The expansion taking place on factory floors is also showing up in export figures.

In the first half of this year, exports of prefabricated structures from seven cities through Guangzhou Customs reached 1.94 billion yuan ($287.5 million), up 21.2 percent year-on-year, with products reaching more than 190 countries and regions.

One modular-building producer said this year's export orders have thus far risen nearly 60 percent year-on-year, with production scheduled several months ahead.

For Chinese producers, the opportunity goes beyond shortening construction time. Their expansion overseas points to a broader shift: buildings are increasingly being designed, produced and exported more like manufactured goods.

XINHUA-CHINA DAILY