[Daejeon Economy = Reporter Kim Min-su] — On the 19th, Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) announced the commencement of a project to standardize the design of modular apartment housing. The goal is to establish a mass production system for modular housing by developing dedicated floor plans and design standards optimized for Off-Site Construction (OSC).
The research project for modular housing design standardization, which began with an initial briefing session, aims to enhance the economic efficiency and quality of modular housing amid rising concerns such as labor shortages, declining quality, and increasing construction costs. The research consortium includes PLANM, the Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation of Ajou University (Lead Researcher: Professor Cho Bong-ho), A-Plus CM Architects, and Youchang E&C. The project will span 10 months, from December this year to September next year.
The primary scope of the research includes: ▲Investigation of production systems ▲Development of standard modular floor plans ▲Establishment of modular housing design criteria ▲Construction cost analysis ▲Formulation of design standardization strategies.
Currently, high initial costs are incurred as each project requires a fresh design review. However, once standardized plans and design details are established, efficiency across the entire project lifecycle will improve, and economic viability can be secured through mass production.
LH plans to develop three types of standard modular floor plans (36㎡, 46㎡, and 54㎡) based on investigations of international standardization cases and the current status of domestic modular technology. The goal is to evolve LH’s standard designs into "National Standard Design Documents" certified by the government, linking them to productization to achieve both cost reduction and quality enhancement.
The research will also provide key design review items and guidelines, including examples of complex planning using standard floor plans and specialized methods for modular housing facade design.
Furthermore, the project will conduct a detailed analysis of international modular housing standardization and the patent status of domestic modular manufacturers and construction firms. By analyzing existing modular construction cases, the team will identify causes of defects and derive design improvements.
To address the economic barriers hindering the expansion of modular housing, the project will calculate factory manufacturing costs for each floor plan type and analyze costs by category to find ways to reduce expenses through standardization and normalization. The team will also review existing standard designs for rural, Hanok (traditional), and wooden houses to identify necessary regulatory improvements.
An official from LH stated, "We are actively adopting the OSC method to resolve chronic issues in the construction industry. Through various research and demonstration projects, we will standardize modular designs and collaborate with the industry to develop superior technologies, solidifying the foundation for smart construction."
