Green Modular Architecture at CONECO 2011

Although the construction industry is currently going through a significant crisis, building has always happened, is happening now, and will continue to happen. Ecological solutions are offered as an optimal way to approach construction, especially due to their sustainability. But how can we build in a way that keeps construction costs acceptable, makes the building "green," and also architecturally attractive? Modular construction with low-energy modules is an ideal solution.

This year's international construction fair CONECO in Bratislava was open to modern and especially ecological solutions. How can we handle energy sensitively so that we can live in homes that are user-friendly and at the same time low-energy, while also ensuring that the construction itself takes as little time as possible?

Modular construction captures the trend of "green architecture," which, given the increasing environmental pollution and the ever-more frequent issue of the "limited capacity of the Earth," is an inevitable solution. An example of this construction is the module M3 – Comfort line from the leading manufacturer of residential containers, KOMA MODULAR CONSTRUCTION, which won a Gold Medal and a design award – the Golden Leonardo award at CONECO 2010 last year.

The module M3 – Comfort line allows architects significant freedom in variation, as the manufacturer values close communication with architects. The "sandwich" production system enables the basic skeleton of the module to be filled according to the architect's vision. In practice, this means that KOMA MODULAR CONSTRUCTION produces modules to order. Thus, the architect is not working with a prototype in terms of appearance, but rather concerning dimensions and energy performance parameters.

The construction of M3 modules meets energy sustainability both in terms of the final building and maintains ecological integrity even during construction. The resulting building is primarily created in the factory. This means not only an incredibly rapid construction process on-site but also a cleanliness of construction that is significantly faster and cleaner than standard construction.

Thanks to this positive shift in the approach to construction and architectural thinking, along with new materials and technologies, new progressive and highly efficient building solutions are emerging. Examples of these buildings were presented at CONECO 2011 during the excellently attended international conference "Modular Architecture in the 21st Century" and at the fair itself, showcasing a construction made from M3 modules. After the fair, the construction will serve as a facility for the Golf club Marina at Rohanský Island in Prague. KOMA MODULAR CONSTRUCTION assembled it on-site in just two days. Over 400 meetings took place there, and approximately 3,000 brochures were distributed, leading to eight large orders being placed right after the fair.

The speed of construction, industrial production of components, and hence financial accessibility, excellent thermal insulation properties, and primarily mobility and flexibility, especially in locations where traditional brick construction is cumbersome, are the main advantages of the modular approach. When adding the variability in designing modules, the customized production of modules, and individual communication between the manufacturer and the architect or designer, we can understand why modular construction is so popular worldwide. Its applicability was demonstrated at the modular architecture conference by speakers, architects with practical experience in modular construction from the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Germany, led by the lifelong pioneer and promoter of modular construction in Europe, Prof. Han Slawik.

Now it remains only to apply modular architecture more prominently here and thus come a little closer to Western nations. In connection with a new approach to architectural construction of kindergartens, family and residential buildings, social housing, or expandable and mobile homes, the technical solutions and design approach of modular architecture as presented by the M3-comfort line module are more than interesting.