Prefab Office Buildings: Cheap, Modular and Green Building Construction
61Besides being convenient, prefabricated office buildings are superior to regular construction in many cases. Prefab offices, because they have already been constructed to standard specifications, tend to be cheaper than the alternative. Steel especially is an excellent material for prefab office construction. Commercial office buildings or office units made of steel are often customizable to be space efficient and energy efficient. They are quick to build and use renewable resources. Overall, the advantages of prefab trump the disadvantages.
Energy Efficiency of Prefab Office Buildings
If your prefab office is constructed with foil insulation, the heat from sunlight will be reflected back in the summer and the cost of air conditioning will be reduced. Choose roofing materials that also reflect sunlight and a steel frame that leaves room for insulation.
Prefabricated Office Buildings Use Steel - A Strong Renewable Material
A major "pro" of prefab offices is their green factor. Many prefab office buildings use steel for the frame rather than wood. Steel is an extremely recyclable material, diminishing the need for old-growth forests. Using wood in building frames not only uses up sparse natural resources, but also leads to rapid logging that creates low quality lumber.
Steel is also a lot stronger than wood. This means that less steel is needed to yield the same strength. The tension and compression strength of steel and its elasticity are not far different from that of wood. Prefabricated steel construction is said to be safer than wood in an earthquake zone.
Steel withstands high winds. A prefabricated steel building tends to be strong, wind resistant and fire resistant. Although a prefab steel office building can burn--very few materials do not burn--it doesn't spread fire like wood does.
Prefab Offices Needn't Look Prefabricated
Depending on the design you choose, prefabricated offices can have an attractive look and be not easily distinguishable on the outside from commercial offices built of masonry or wood.
Making Prefab Office Buildings Environmentally Friendly
- An eco-friendly house minimizes the impact of construction on the earth's ecosystem.
- Choose a site for your prefab office that's not on at-risk wetlands or habitats of endangered species.
- The building site should use available sunlight, but also be exposed to shady areas.
- The office should have sufficient fenestration--plenty of double glazed windows--and adequate ventilation.
- Pick renewable building materials. Besides steel, consider bamboo for the flooring, a metal roof, and salvaged objects for fixtures.
- Check all parts of the prefab office building for the Energy Star rating.
