Prefab Construction and the Carbon Conundrum

An interesting take on the triple bottom line. Tom Robinson of The Greentree Gazette writes about some lessons learned at Rice University about how hard it is to understand the impact of various building styles:

The economic impact is improved by avoiding the likelihood of collision among several different tradesmen. The pods arrive completely assembled with fixtures and lighting – everything including the toilet paper holder. Local plumbers hook up the drains and water supply and electricians make one electrical connection. Voila. . . . The lifetime cost of prefab is even more attractive. Instead of drywall and studs, the pods are molded from glass reinforced plastic (GRP), similar to a fiberglass boat, and mounted on a steel base. So they don’t need constant patching and repainting and they won’t leak. With wall mounted fixtures, they can be cleaned easily.

The social impact test is whether students like their new digs. Director of Sustainability Richard Johnson explains that Rice showed photographs and a sample pod to students, who felt that the pods were indeed attractive and functional. And if they were less expensive and environmentally friendly, all the better. The student government president endorsed the decision at a groundbreaking ceremony. Designers are happy, too, because GRP accommodates design flexibility like radius corners and lots of finish options.

The environmental impact is a mixed bag. Use of prefab at the construction site provides benefits: less construction material waste; less decayed building materials leeching into the soil; less waste water runoff. The bathroom pods have dual flush toilets, low flow shower heads and energy-efficient lighting and ventilation. The materials are non-toxic.