The construction industry is constantly evolving to respond to changing realities and needs. The changes do not bypass housing construction, which has the highest expectations. We want to build fast and modern, using technologies and tools that save money, but never at the expense of the comfort of the occupants. Unihouse is leading the way by using modular technology.

Housing construction in the past and today

The past decades in residential construction in Poland can be summed up by a list of problems that almost everyone has encountered - high density, lack of access to basic infrastructure, suburbanisation, traffic jams, inadequate acoustic and thermal insulation and, more recently, the fencing off of housing estates, which has acted as an effective means of disintegration.

Times have changed, and with them the materials and method of construction. Investors are now more likely to choose structural timber, which allows the construction of dwellings that meet all modern requirements. Modular technology is also growing in popularity, but so is timber frame technology. The timber is used to form the skeleton of the module, which is the basis of the building. Most of the work is done in the factory, so it is possible to optimise the investment and reduce the amount of materials or energy needed, thus saving money.

The current trend is to build in line with sustainable construction, which includes the use of photovoltaic panels or heat pumps that guarantee lower building maintenance costs. In addition, modern housing estates are becoming green - not only figuratively, but also literally. Where just 10 years ago a car park would have been built, trees are now being planted.

Modular housing

Although the number of modular buildings in Poland is relatively small, forecasts for the development of the construction industry allow us to look to the future with optimism. Modules have an advantage over traditional construction because they require less space and interference on the construction site, which allows the pace of work to be increased and costs to be reduced.

Housing needs are constantly growing and insufficient housing is a problem in cities large and small. According to analyses by economists, the number of developer contracts sold for the construction of flats in the largest markets will not meet these needs any time soon. The solution is modules that allow rapid construction with quality, taking into account environmental issues and keeping production and subsequent operating costs to a minimum.

- The popularity of modular construction in Poland is growing. It is currently present in every field, both in the context of residential construction and in public buildings, as well as in the medical and educational sectors. There has been a tremendous increase in public awareness of this issue over the past several years. Therefore, I believe that the further development of this field will be characterised by a dynamic leap forward rather than by slow progress,’ says Kamil Kowalczyk, board member and commercial director of Unihouse.

Not only residential

Although cubic modules are mainly associated with multi-family buildings, this is not the end of the possibilities they offer. An example of this can be seen in Unihouse's investments in Poland, which have included a care and educational facility in Gdańsk or a police station in Białołęka, Warsaw. Currently, the company is using modular technology to build Primary School No. 3 in Pruszków, a nursery in Ciechanów.

Modular technology can be successfully applied to public buildings. Every year, more and more projects and realisations of these in modular technology are being created. Modules can also be a lifesaver for tourism, which has been hit hard by the pandemic, by being used to build hotels and holiday homes. They make it possible to build comfortably, efficiently and faster than with traditional materials and methods, making them likely to become a leading construction technology in the near future.