About Us PrefabNZ
You have told us there is a clear need for a prefabrication industry hub to connect, catalyse, inform, inspire and promote prefabricated building solutions. Here it is.
What is prefab?
Prefab is a way to create innovative high-quality buildings on time and within budget. Your home probably has prefab roof trusses and wall frames. Your bach might be a transportable building. Your workplace may use precast concrete elements.
Prefab is short for prefabrication. It refers to any part of a building that is made away from the final building site, which is why it can also be referred to as offsite construction.
Prefab is a complimentary system to traditional construction. Prefab comes in all shapes and sizes, from small components such as pre-nailed wall frames, to panels, larger modules (3-D volumes) or even complete buildings. Hybrid prefab is a mixture of several prefab systems, or prefab with traditional construction. Prefab can be made of timber, concrete metals or plastics or any combination.
Prefab types (left to right): Component, Panel (2D), Module (3D), Hybrid, Complete Building
You can read more about prefab in New Zealand in Houses (NZ) magazine – this is a great introductory article about the types of prefab (component, panel, module, hybrid and complete)
What is PrefabNZ?
PrefabNZ is a self-sustaining non-profit incorporated society representing the interests of a wide range of materials and stakeholders in the design and construction sector: from clients through to designers, specifiers, manufacturers, contractors and government.
Download the current PrefabNZ rules
How is prefab important to New Zealand?
Prefabrication is a strategy that affects the whole project from its start, rather than being just a selection of products or technologies applied later on. International reports have extolled its virtues as a valuable part of the built environment, yet there has not been a subsequent uptake by the design and construction industry in New Zealand. What’s holding back the uptake of prefabrication in New Zealand?
New Zealand’s design and construction industry identifies four key issues inhibiting the uptake of prefabrication:
• broadening perceptions through information to combat misconceptions
• connecting with clients to increase market size
• assisting innovation to market
• spreading technical knowledge to increase awareness
The Prefab Roadmap for New Zealand draws from a rich and lengthy historical context, to formulate a contemporary vision to increase the quality of prefabricated output and grow customer value. This vision is based on identifying key challenges holding the industry back, the resulting actions needed to address these challenges, and the relevant outcomes and outputs needed to achieve the actions.
Action areas can be grouped into five main areas:
• research
• communication
• dissemination
• education
• demonstration
Outcomes and outputs are wide-ranging and include the development of online tools such as a product database and interactive value case tool, together with targeted technical publications and broader exhibition events. The next step is to rank the priority of the outcomes and outputs, and identify organisations to assist in the delivery of these projects over the five-year timeframe of this Roadmap.
The Prefab Roadmap for New Zealand was launched in March 2013 at the inaugural PrefabNZ Conference - you can download your copy of the Prefab Roadmap here.
Cut to the chase and download the one-page Roadmap Summary here.
What is PrefabNZ’s mission?
PrefabNZ’s mission is to double the uptake of prefabrication in NZ by 2020. BRANZ has measured this as 17% today (by overall cost of the prefabricated components of residential and non-residential buildings), so we are aiming for at least an increase to 40% by 2020.PrefabNZ's Strategic Plan was released March 2013 at the inaugural PrefabNZ Conference - download the one-page Strategic Plan diagram here.
How is PrefabNZ working towards this?
- a catalyst for prefab collaboration,
- a front-door-portal for prefab information and
- an incubator for prefab innovation
PrefabNZ works at the interface between government, industry organisations and members. It will provide a forum for members to make wider contacts, form collaborations and learn new skills.
PrefabNZ is continuing its educational, informational and advocacy role with a number of industry groups.
We have recently been engaging with:
- Department of Building and Housing
- Housing NZ
- Department of Labour
- Construction Industry Council
- BRANZ
- Productivity Partnership
PrefabNZ is a member of the Construction Industry Council (CIC) which is essentially an association of industry associations.
PrefabNZ is a member of the Productivity Partnership's Evidence Working Group and is continuing work on the Research Action Plan strategy and direction.
PrefabNZ members will be updated directly on any updates from these groups and any issues, concerns, sucesses and challenges will be considered and communicated by PrefabNZ to the wider industry through these groups.
PrefabNZ promotes and re-educates about the benefits of prefabrication to a wide audience.PrefabNZ is your one-stop-shop for prefab matters in NZ. According to US prefab architect, Michelle Kaufmann, “collaboration is where real change is happening”.
How can you get involved?
There are three main ways you can get involved
with PrefabNZ:
- Become a PrefabNZ member – one of the benefits of membership is a listing on our Directory to put you in touch with clients and other companies interested in Prefab. Find out more about the benefits of membership and if it’s right for you.
- Advertise with us – advertising spots are available in our monthly newsletter which is sent to over 1400 people. Advertising prices for 2012 are $400 + GST for Non Members and $275 + GST for Members. Contact us to find out more.
- Be a part of one of our major projects - HIVE – Home Innovation Village will be running from 21 April 2012 – February 2014. HIVE will have a total of 10 housing teams on site and a growing list of fantastic sponsors, could you be one of them? Find out more about HIVE.
- Become an event partner - work alongside PrefabNZ to help show off a fabulous prefab project. We need event partners to keep bringing the prefab community informative and inspiring events. Maybe you could help us? Take a look at previous event partners. Contact us to find out how you could get involved.