Efficient, industrial and modern - a smarter way to build!

At BoKlok we call ourselves the sustainable, quality and low-cost home provider. We are jointly owned by Skanska and IKEA and we like to talk about how our way of building is efficient, industrial and modern. But what do we mean by that, and how do we think about efficiency?

At BoKlok we have chosen to build all our homes in modular form with an industrialised construction process. This means that as much as possible during the construction of our homes is carried out in a factory. Walls are put up, floors are laid, windows are installed, bathrooms are tiled and even kitchen cabinets and wardrobes are put in place. All in a safe, dry and highly efficient indoor environment. Our ambition is simply to create a nice and elegant building based on volume elements, while maintaining the highest efficiency and quality as possible.

Industrial vs. traditional construction

But how does an industrialised construction process like ours differ from more traditional construction? From our view, a traditional construction process has a very strong project focus, where many things are allowed to be unique. It can be anything from the appearance of the final house and the production method to technical solutions during the work process or which consulting or contractor teams being used. By starting each project with a blank paper, i.e. to use and come up with unique solutions every time, it becomes difficult to make improvements from project to project. Because in every project, one has to start from the beginning and can’t re-use clever ideas. In addition, if one must keep an eye on what’s unique for the specific project, it becomes difficult to prioritise to invest in, and use, platforms and other technical systems that could facilitate production and efficiency going forward.

The industrialised construction process, on the other hand, is about creating processes and technical solutions to get the entire chain from idea to finished building to function as an efficient production system. Of course, this is not about creating identical buildings, but about using materials and manpower in a smarter way, to achieve a higher rate of production. Industrial construction is simply a way to utilise resources and expertise more efficiently with technical platforms and pre-production of building elements - which can then be assembled into completely different buildings and homes.

Sweden - an example with opportunities

Sweden, where BoKlok has its roots, is today a world leader in industrial construction. The country has a long history of innovation and industrial construction has been adopted by several companies - both small, medium and large - that challenge the more traditional construction companies. It has proved to be a smart way to go. If one compares the productivity of the construction industry with for example the manufacturing industry, the construction industry is falling behind. The productivity here is at the same level as it has been for a long time, while the manufacturing industry has had a strong, positive development. The industrial construction companies and concepts, inspired by the manufacturing industry, are also significantly more efficient than the traditional ones. Thus, there are great opportunities to increase productivity throughout the construction industry through industrial construction processes.

At BoKlok we build in half of the time compared to traditional construction. Our record is 7 months, from construction start to home owners moving in. That’s what we’d like to call smart & smooth construction! By having a streamlined and standardised process like that, we can keep our prices down.

Modern construction = sustainable construction

The possibilities of industrial building processes are greater than just speed and lower costs. As digitalisation and volumes increase, the potential of strengthening the concept also increases. Modern construction in a factory creates greater predictability, can be optimised and improved to a completely different level than traditional construction, reduces waste and provides the conditions for significantly lower climate impact from both production and finished homes. Frankly said: Wise construction, in more than one way. At BoKlok, we are proud to be a part of this journey.