VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE WITH VINCE FERNANDES & VENTURES CONNECT
Ahead of the Construction Technology Festival, held in Dubai during the first week of June, Spacemaker joined forces with Ventures Connect to host a dynamic virtual roundtable. Hosted by B2B Connect’s Rob Jones, this brought together leaders from both the hospitality and construction industries, inclusive of megaproject developers, architects and contractors, to discuss the capabilities of modular methods of construction and how these can be applied to the hospitality industry, creating a value proposition for both consumers, hoteliers and investors. The roundtable kicked off with an informative presentation by Vince Fernandes, Business Development Manager at Spacemaker, who detailed the benefits of modern methods of construction and their potential application to the hospitality market, demonstrated acutely through a new product offering from Spacemaker themselves – SmartSpace.
Smartspace is a fully self-sustained unit that can be transported and set up in remote locations with no need for any supporting infrastructure, presenting a low investment opportunity for developers in the hospitality industry. This product capitalises on pristine locations, preserving ecosystems and the environment in it's wake. Spacemaker have had interest from hospitality companies across the GCC who want to cater to the consumer experience trend and align with the dispersed hospitality movement. The presentation opened up a conversation about the pros and cons of modern methods of construction with the participants lending valid reasons for both. It was agreed that a huge benefit is the cost saving element – it is estimated that modular methods can generate a saving of between 7-11% compared to traditional builds. This is steamrolled by saving on infrastructure as no heavy excavations or trench works are required for modular works; independent systems can be utilised for modular systems.
Time equals money and this sentiment was shared across the roundtable. While time saving was a proposed benefit of modular construction from Vince, this was challenged by a few who insisted that this value proposition is not certain and the unknown of modern methods of construction is a concern leading to reluctance from most of the mega projects in KSA and UAE. The general consensus was that in the Middle East, modular systems are not recognized as a permanent build and we need to raise awareness and change perceptions because the fact of the matter is, prefabricated modules can be permanent builds. Spacemaker have demonstrated this with the completion of 27 modular permanent builds in the UAE alone. Solidifying this is the fact that clients have requested modular for a second, third and fourth time after seeing the benefits first time around. Moreover, Spacemaker have the same capacity to execute this in KSA however conversations need to be had and perceptions changed to explore this.
It was agreed across the board that a major benefit of modular construction is the sustainability element taking into consideration the environment and minimal disruption to locations. However, it was suggested by a contractor in the discussion that products of this nature do not tend to be organic in their make-up. Vince advised that Spacemaker work closely with architects to come up with solutions and many have been tried and tested notably with the new SmartSpace product. Spacemaker are able to provide features such as accent walls and as an example, a customer in UAE requested a reflective unit which Spacemaker developed for them in the external cladding, resulting in the unit reflecting the surrounding environment. The possibilities with modular are endless and the concept is so much "more than just a box". The buildings can be completely customised and manufacturers just need the guidance to understand what clients want as steel modules have a lot of options. A general consensus amongst the participants from the hospitality industry was that when it comes to modular construction there is an embedded perception.
People know traditional methods and are comfortable with them however, modular is the way forward for the environment and sustainability. Currently, there is a limited amount of knowledge in modern methods of construction so there is a pre-assumption that the buildings are low quality.
However, Vince claims that people simply need to “come and see what we've done”. SmartSpace for example, has been sent to KSA for megaprojects with developers and investors expressing interest after seeing and understanding the product. It was proposed by a prominent figure from the hospitality industry and participant in the roundtable that when it comes to modular buildings in this industry, pristine locations are the most suitable and applicable environment, reasoning that the targeted clientele for these projects would appreciate what the client has done for preservation of the environment. He also suggested that modular buildings in this environment would have the capacity to be 5 star level as they exploit their unique surroundings, adding value to the product offering. This was supported by one of the participants, a renowned architect who believes that in time we will be able to achieve high end five star projects through modular construction.
He advised that there are now tools that are helping transform mindsets and a major benefit of modular is that the factory assembly process allows for quality control over the entire design. Using bathroom pods as an example, he advised that once they are normalized in the hospitality industry, modular will become the norm. He believes that markets are not mature enough yet but the conversation is very interesting as it is opening perceptions. When asked if he believed there are any limitations with modular, he noted that it proposes certain challenges but the possibilities are exciting. With modularity there are no limitations; it is only the work flow that changes.
Two of the participating contractors agreed with this sentiment and suggested that individual projects need to be addressed with honesty and integrity being paramount. They claim that the concept of modular construction is believed however delivery methods, quality, and completed on schedule? That’s the concern. Vince combated this with the notion that Spacemaker have experienced these concerns and come through the other side, delivering successful projects with no real issues or problems.
According to the participants from the hospitality industry, if we engage with the architects and allow some time, this perfect marriage between modular and hospitality will happen eventually. There was a belief that architects have to be the pioneers of this movement as it is where creativity starts and everyone will follow. Another hospitality expert supported this by stating that the architect is key and the structural engineers need to work closely with them and with the fabricator. Furthermore, the client needs the contractor to be more confident in presenting modular as an option. A contractor explained that they are bound by what the client wants and they are the most important factor thus, clients need to be educated about modular. Overall, the roundtable generated a dynamic discussion on modular methods of construction and their application as a whole and their application to the hospitality industry. The diversity of the participants ensured opinions were presented from all angles, garnering different perspectives from experts across both industries. It presented an understanding of what the challenges are with the end user, client and investors but also the solutions and what steps need to be taken for the future of modular construction.