Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Solutions from DMDmodular
The real estate market needs a revolution – it is responsible for 38% of greenhouse gas emissions that enter the atmosphere. Therefore, it will play a
significant role in introducing solutions to meet the challenges of the future. Upcoming changes in regulations concerning the ecological aspects of buildings will soon compel real estate investors to seek urgent solutions enabling them to achieve the objectives outlined in the Net Zero strategy. DMDmodular has recently achieved a significant milestone by successfully completing a relevant energy-efficient housing project, fully financed by EU funds, that tackles the industry’s most pressing challenges.
This energy-efficient multi-family building emerged as a response to an initiative led by the Polish National Center for Research and Development, titled “Energy and Process-Efficient Modular Construction” was designed and build using a volumetric modular system, and It was developed by DMDmodular in collaboration with researchers, architects, and technologists.
The project comprises 29 apartments ranging in size from 45 to 70 square meters, and it was materialized through 56 fully finished and furnished modules. These modules, manufactured at DMDmodular’s facility near Kraków, were transported and assembled in Mysłowice, Poland during July 2023.
This building stands as a technology demonstrator, offering an invaluable scalable and global solution for both local governments and private investors developing projects across the countries. Energy efficient modular technology can effectively address the housing shortage and energy crisis, as well as rising construction costs associated with traditional methods.
The project is defined by its superior quality finishing, energy efficiency, and remarkably rapid construction timeline of just 4 months. This high quality, energy efficient and quick delivery method not only can help alleviate housing shortages and the immediate need of building solutions to rebuild Ukraine (only 250 km from the Ukrainian border), but also significantly enhances returns on investment in the build-to-rent sector, encompassing hospitality, PRS ventures, co-living initiatives and student accommodations, compared to conventional construction techniques.
The showcased multi-family building integrates innovative solutions that enable a positive energy balance, resulting in surplus energy generation. It incorporates cutting-edge air handling units with 95% air recovery efficiency, moisture recovery systems, ceiling-based heating and cooling through capillary mats, thermal energy storage, and thermal energy recovery from sewage tanks. The building solely relies on renewable energy sources for its energy needs and integrates measures to minimize water consumption and the overall carbon footprint.
The demonstrator was also developed with numerous sustainable materials from Polish and foreign companies. One of them is the Norwegian waterproof wall systems in the form of easy-to-install panels. Manufactured from PEFC certified, layered plywood and high-pressure laminate, Fibo’s wall panels offer a sustainable - a 40% lower carbon footprint - alternative to tiles. The panels have been installed on surfaces where high strength, durability and quick assembly have been implemented in bathrooms and kitchens.
The garnered experience of DMDmodular has facilitated the establishment of a seamlessly coordinated supply chain comprising cooperating companies. For investors, this translates to project implementation stability and cost predictability, which, especially in light of the fluctuating prices of construction materials, stands as one of the advantages of DMDmodular technology compared to conventional methods.
Poland offers a sustainable and efficient supply chain which is a perfect environment for company Fibo, which supplies DMDmodular, focused on
turn-key modular units. The country has become one of the hottest manufacturing clusters in Europe as the economy continues to perform strongly being among the three fastest growing economies in the EU. Poland is a major producer and supplier to the automotive industry and a leading manufacturing position in the windows industry in the EU. And it holds the fourth position in the world as an exporter, and sixth place as a producer in the furniture industry. Thanks to the stable and credible local supply chain, DMD claims to be the attractive and reliable business partner for the UK construction market.
DMDmodular is an award-winning company focusing on the housing and hospitality industries, delivering unique volumetric modular solutions to international markets. Noteworthy recent developments are PBSA schemes in Scotland, Denmark, and Switzerland and numerous houses for recreational parks in the Benelux region. Furthermore, the company is presently engaged in several hotel projects, encompassing establishments in the UK and Belgium. DMD earned international recognition in 2022 by securing an award in the Green Building Category for its innovative co-living modular solution implemented in Paris.
More from Modular Advantage
Mind the Gap: The Interface Between Onsite and Offsite Construction
Every design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) project — modular, mass timber, or panelized — is really two projects joined at a seam. One is built in a controlled factory to millimeter tolerances; the other in the field, in weather, to the looser tolerances of poured concrete and human hands. Between them sits an interface: where the factory’s precision meets the site’s reality.
Rules, Rails & Repeatability: Applying DfMA to Modular Healthcare
DfMA offers several advantages for healthcare projects, with faster delivery among the most valuable. Schedule matters when building new facilities, expanding campuses, renovating existing space or bringing care closer to communities that need it.
Precision and Possibility: Demands of DfMA and What Modular Mass Timber Makes Possible
Mass timber does not automatically create an efficient modular building. Its precision makes early coordination more important: fabricated components will accurately reproduce both the team’s solutions and its mistakes. The material’s advantages are realized only when supported by an equally precise design and delivery process.
Catch It in the Factory, Not in the Field: Smarter Testing for Modular Builds
Integrating watertightness and airtightness testing into factory workflows transforms quality assurance from a reactive process into a proactive commissioning strategy. It ensures that every module shipped is field ready and resilient for transportation while also supporting the ability of the modular construction industry to make buildings better.
Modular Construction Contracts: Key Considerations for Successful Canadian Projects
Starting a modular project with a well-developed contract protects both the owner and the contractor. It will help keep the project on track and on budget, and it will improve quality from the factory floor to final installation on-site.
Modular by Design: Turning Architecture into a Manufacturing System
Modular construction is often presented as a faster way to build. Speed, however, is only one part of its value. The larger opportunity is to create a coordinated design and production system that improves quality, reduces uncertainty, and allows a building to move efficiently from concept design through manufacturing, transportation, installation, and completion.
Repeatability Begins with Trust: What Alora at Dry Creek Reveals About Scaling Modular Housing
Alora at Dry Creek, a 329-unit, multifamily community comprising five four-story buildings in Centennial, Colorado, demonstrates how repeatable design, standardized manufacturing and early collaboration can work together to create a model that is not only faster to deliver, but easier to replicate across future projects.
T.R. Arnold: The Art of Third-Party Inspections
T.R. Arnold (TRA), a third-party inspection company in Elkhart, Indiana, contracts with modular manufacturers across the US. Manufacturers register with each state to which they intend to send their modules and may be required to hire a third-party inspection company.
Creating an ‘Ecosystem for Innovation:’ 50+ Years of Modular Construction Oversight in Virginia
Virginia’s modular building program began in 1973, with the implementation of the Virginia Industrialized Building Unit and Mobile Home Safety Regulations. Now it’s leading the country in modular code adoption.
Understanding Thermal Barriers Compliance Methods & Emerging NFPA-275 Foam Plastic Technologies
New fire barrier technologies are improving total costs and margins in major areas of construction, such as commercial, government, union and prevailing wage projects. These benefits translate into other large fringe areas, such as agriculture, commercial cold storage facilities, grow houses, outbuildings, military and aviation hangars.