Automated Architecture Ltd. Its automated assembly system for the construction of homes and prefab homes during the 2021 Global Investment Summit (GIS).
On October 19, 2021, the Global Investment Summit (GIS) saw 12 of the UK’s leading ‘friendly innovators’, selected by the UK Government to underscore the importance of applying green technology to our daily lives. Just in time for COP26 (the United Nations Climate Change Conference in the UK), GIS shows how the UK can shape the future of green investment. By incorporating green technology into architectural building methods, London-based firm Automated Architecture Ltd and design and technology firm Automated Architecture Ltd. (AUAR) a new automated assembly system for prefab housing.
AUAR comprises of a modular timber construction method that designs prefabricated and customized homes based on site conditions, landscaping, the buyer’s lifestyle and home preferences. Drawing on robotics and custom automation methods from ABB Robotics, AUAR is redefining what home building will look like in the 21st century. With AUAR, individual wooden building blocks, selected for refurbishment of building materials, are pre-machined and stacked together to form small housing units.
In a similar fashion to the revolutionary assembly lines of the 1950s that created suburban housing developments like Levittown, AUAR forms its own production line, one that is much smaller in size and staffing. The AUAR robot links wood panels together to form building blocks that are assembled together and assembled into tiny homes with the help of local craftsmen and builders. After being used, the wood blocks can be disassembled and reused for other purposes, reducing construction waste and adhering to circular design principles.
Noting that there has been no change in home building methods, AUAR CEO and Co-Founder Molly Claypool suggests,
“The demand for new homes is astronomical – we need 2 billion homes in the next 80 years – but the way we build has not changed in hundreds of years. Traditional attempts to modernize housing construction lead to extreme centralization and huge capital expenditures, further widening the gap between housing developers and local communities. Our approach offers a community-driven, climate-sensitive alternative – a way to revolutionize the way we design and build homes and empower people and communities to live better and more sustainable lives.”
With the help of local neighbors and assembly lines, AUAR works with small communities to build tiny housing. By pulling out of the assembly of large factories and global production chains, AUAR aims to reduce carbon emissions through the use of local resources and increase community development.
Designer: Automated Architecture Ltd., (AUAR)
