PREFABRICATED SERVICE POD
The present invention relates to a prefabricated service pod comprising: a central framework adapted to accommodate at least one utility means, said utility means being selected from: an electricity supply, a telecommunications/data supply, a water supply, a waste fluid drainage conduit, and a ventilation supply; and at least two sections attached to said framework selected from: a kitchen section, a bathroom section, and a staircase section. The present invention also describes a method of constructing a building using a prefabricated service pod.
The present invention relates to prefabricated service pods and specifically but not exclusively, prefabricated service pods that can be used in the construction of buildings and the like.
BACKGROUNDPrefabricated building units are well known and allow an entire room including the exterior walls, ceiling and floor together with the room's interior fittings to be constructed in a factory located remotely from a building site in a controlled factory environment. These building units can then be delivered to the site, typically by road, where they can be secured in position. Once secured into position the utilities can be installed, such utilities including a supply of electricity, water, telecommunications etc. Therefore, in a relatively short period of time from the completion of a building's foundations, a building can be erected and ready for occupation.
These prefabricated building units have several clear advantages over traditional buildings and building methods as they reduce building time, the cost of producing the finished building is minimised as a result of lower labour costs and buildings materials costs. Also, as the production of prefabricated building units is relatively straightforward to standardise, economies of scale can further reduce the cost and build time yet further.
Whilst such known units are capable of existing as stand-alone buildings in their own right, they are often joined with a series of like or similar units to create a larger building. For example, such units can be used to provide houses, apartments, university accommodation, hotels, offices, business premises such as fast food restaurants and the like.
Traditionally, the known building units have only been used to provide somewhat functional buildings due, in part, to their inexpensive nature and their general appearance. Indeed, one drawback with these units is that it is difficult to alter the external appearance of the finished building, and this can compromise their suitability for a particular purpose. A further drawback is that it is inefficient to transport whole building units from the factory to the building site as a large proportion of the transported unit is the interior of a room and, in effect, empty space. This drawback can be particularly problematic where national law restricts the size of the units that may be transported on public roads. Also, the size and weight of the building unit needs to be carefully considered as large and heavy units require specialised on-site lifting apparatus which is expensive to operate and, thus, reduces the economic efficacy of such units.
A further drawback is that known prefabricated building units are often deemed not to be sufficiently robust to be used for anything other than mere functional buildings, such as single storey temporary offices, schools and the like.
Notwithstanding these drawbacks there is a general desire to produce more mainstream buildings which utilize at least some of the benefits inherent to prefabricated building units.
One such market which would encourage the adoption of these benefits would be the first time home-buyers market. Increasingly first time buyers find themselves priced out of the housing market and the provision of inexpensive housing, particularly near large cities, is likely to be desirable.
Furthermore, due to increasing numbers of students attending universities, there is an increasing demand for inexpensive student accommodation. Universities can often fail to offer all students, particularly first year students, accommodation. Increasingly universities are interested in the development of so called study bedrooms which not only have a sleeping and study area but also an en-suite shower and toilet area generally arranged in a block of such study bedrooms.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system to produce buildings incorporating at least some of the advantages and benefits of known prefabricated building units whilst addressing the associated drawbacks, some of which are mentioned above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided therefore a prefabricated service pod comprising:
a central framework adapted to accommodate at least one utility means, said utility means being selected from: an electricity supply, a telecommunications/data supply, a water supply, a waste fluid drainage conduit, and a ventilation supply; and
at least two sections attached to said framework selected from: a kitchen section, a bathroom section, and a staircase section.
Preferably the service pod of the present invention can further comprise an entertainment section attached to said framework.
The central framework of the service pod preferably accommodates the at least one utility means in at least one void located within said framework. The central framework may comprise a plurality of voids therein to accommodate said at least one utility means.
The central framework of the service pod may have a lattice construction and be adapted to accommodate the at least one utility means within the voids in said lattice.
Alternatively, the central framework of the service pod may possess plurality of attachment means adapted to accommodates the at least one utility means adjacent thereto.
The service pod of the present invention is adapted to accommodate at least two utility means within the void(s) or adjacent to the framework. Preferably the service pod of the present invention is adapted to accommodate at least three utility means within the void(s) or adjacent to the framework. Even more preferably, all of said utility means can be accommodated within/adjacent to the framework.
Access means may be provided to facilitate ease of installation and maintenance of the utility means during the use of the pod.
At least one of the utility means can be substantially integrated in the service pod. Preferably at least two of the utility means are substantially integrated in the service pod. Even more preferably, all of the utility means are substantially integrated in the service pod. The integration of the utility means can be facilitated during the construction of the pod such that when the pod is introduced to the construction site, it can simply be plugged in and/or connected to the basic utility means provided in the building.
The central framework may extend laterally to provide a roof and/or a floor to the pod. The pod may be arranged to form a cage-like structure having open sides thereto to permit access to the sections attached to the central framework.
As used herein the term “bathroom section” shall be taken to mean any section which a user of the pod may use to typically wash themselves. Each bathroom section may comprise at least two of: a wash basin, a bath, a shower cubicle, a toilet.
As used herein the term “kitchen section” shall be taken to mean any section which is typically equipped for preparing and cooking food. Each kitchen section may comprise at least two of: a sink, an oven, a hob, a refrigerator, a dishwashing machine, a washing machine, a tumble dryer, one or more work surfaces.
As used herein the term “staircase section” shall be taken to mean any section which comprises a series of steps and a supporting structure therefor.
As used herein the term “entertainment section” shall be taken to mean any section which is adapted to house typical entertainment apparatus commonly found in a domestic building such as a television, a computer, a music player. This section is preferably provided with a series of suitable outlets to accommodate such apparatus, including electrical sockets and/or telecommunication sockets and/or modem sockets. This section may also comprise one or more sliding or hinged doors to conceal the section either wholly or partially.
As a service pod in accordance with the present invention is intended to be incorporated within the interior of a constructed building it offers several advantages over the known prior art.
As mentioned above, when prefabricated buildings are erected it is generally difficult to impart a pleasing aesthetic external appearance to the building. A service pod in accordance with the present invention permits a builder, typically a building contractor, to erect the envelope of a building in accordance with a traditional building and, when this envelope nears completion, the service pod can be introduced. In this regard the service pod of the present invention offers a series of advantages over traditional building methods and some of these advantages are set out below.
Firstly, a building contractor is able to erect the envelope of the building using largely traditional building techniques, such as with block-work, bricks, mortar and cement. The envelope of the building is used here in a general sense to include the foundations of the building, the outer walls, the roof, internal floors and ceilings, a layer of plaster on the internal walls, windows and doors, and typical first-fitting utilities such as sewage, water supply, electric supply and telecommunication/data supply cabling/pipework and the like.
Once the envelope is constructed the introduction of the service pod can be delayed until the building has been purchased and/or the purchaser has decided on the specification of the pod. Since the pod is likely to represent between 15-35% of the total cost of the building, this delay is of benefit to the contractor and/or a building developer as the cost of the pod only need be incurred when the building is near to being handed over to the purchaser.
A further benefit of the service pod of the present invention is that the number of on-site trades people is substantially reduced. During a traditional construction of a building there will be a number of different skilled people on the building site at any one time depending on the progress of the construction. These trades people include builders, electricians, plumbers, plasterers, ventilation engineers. Often architects will be called in to offer instructions and advice on the development of the building. Generally it is considered problematic for more than one type of trades person to work on the building at any one time, thus, the associated coordination contributes to longer construction times and increased costs.
The service pod of the present invention may substantially reduce the number of trades people required in the building process. Several of the trades people are required to make repeated visits to the building during construction to work with and accommodate the introduction of the kitchen, the bathroom, the telecommunication access points, the ventilation etc. However, once the basic utility means are placed in the building envelope, the possible integration of the utility means within the service pod during manufacture provides the ability to simply plug in/connect to the present utility means thus alleviating the need for several trades people to return to the building during installation of the pod and subsequent to the installation.
It is to be understood that any reference to a building envelope does not necessarily have to include all of the components mentioned above, rather the envelope is intended to indicate that these components could be put in place using traditional building techniques but all that needs be present is a general structure in place into which a service pod in accordance with the present invention could be introduced. Indeed, the envelope could be made entirely from a pre-fabricated structure or structures.
The service pods of the present invention may be provided in a single storey format. However, the service pods of the present invention may be provided in a multi-storey format. Such multi-storey pods may be integrally formed or may be formed in single storey component parts to be connected to each other and/or adapted to communicate with each other on-site. The communication between multi-storey pods can be provided by at least one of: the at least one void in the central framework of each component part of the pod being adapted to communicate with an adjacent component pod, the at least one integrated utility means of each pod being connected with or adapted to communicate with an adjacent component pod, and/or a staircase portion allowing ease of access to a user from one component pod to an adjacent component pod.
Where the service pods are of a multi-storey format, at least one of the pods is preferably provided with a staircase section to permit a user an ease of access to each storey of the pod.
Preferably the multi-storey service pods of the present invention are arranged to be stacked substantially directly on top of each other. However, the pods may be arranged such that only a portion of the upper pod is stacked on the lower pod.
The stacking of the component storeys of a multi-storey service pod may be achieved by directly connecting adjacent pods to each other. Alternatively or additionally, adjacent pods may be connected to internal and/or external structures of the building in suitable spaced relation to each other to permit communication between said component pods.
Whilst there are restrictions on the number of storeys of a building that can have communicating service pods in accordance with the present invention, it is generally preferred to use the multi-storey service pods in buildings of between two to six storeys in height.
Preferably the framework of the pod is adapted to divide the internal space of a room into two or more distinct spaces or rooms. Preferably the framework is sized to extend into the internal space of the building to divide the internal space into two or more distinct spaces or rooms. Even more preferably, the framework is sized to extend into the internal space of the building to the internal and/or external walls of the building to divide the internal space into two or more distinct spaces or rooms.
Preferably the service pod is provided with an integrated warm air recovery means to improve energy efficiency and insulation. Sections of the pod may also be provided with radiators, panel heaters, storage heaters, low-level heaters and/or focal point fireplaces and the like.
Preferably the service pod is provided with an integrated boiler/hot water cylinder to provide hot water and heating to the pod. The boiler may be located in within any section of the pod, but preferably in the kitchen section or staircase section.
To improve the ability to transport a service pod of the present invention and improve the ease with which the pod can be secured in position within the building envelope, the pod may be provided with removable or retractable transport means. Preferably the pod will be provided with retractable transport means which are adapted to be raised and lowered as required. Suitable transport means may be provided in the form of wheels or rollers mounted on legs that can be mechanically raised and lowered into the pod.
The present invention provides numerous benefits over traditional building methods and currently known pre-fabricated buildings. Building contractors are presented with the option of retaining their traditional building skills to build a building envelope without the need to work with a large number of trades people, thus reducing the construction time and the associated cost. Also due to the ease of installation of the service pods of the present invention, the contractor will be able to produce rapid construction programs, low disruption risks and reduced defects on-site.
As each service pod will be manufactured off-site in a substantially repeatable way, quality control can be imparted to the manufacturing process. As a consequence of the resulting standardisation and quality control, the level of insurance required to cover the construction work can be reduced.
As the service pods offer a degree of internal standardisation to the construction, architects will benefit from the freedom to design the building envelope knowing that the varying designs will improve the consumer desirability without necessarily increasing the building contractors' or property developers' costs.
Property developers will benefit from a unique building envelope identity and a cost efficient manufacturing process that will deliver housing faster and more efficiently, allowing a more controlled management of their financial investment.
The service pod may also be environmentally friendly and can be largely or wholly manufactured with sustainable and recyclable materials and components that provide increased construction efficiency and continued product efficiency development. The size of the pods can render them suitable for inexpensive transportation, which in turn caused less harm to the environment. The off-site construction process means less material waste on site while the building envelope is constructed.
The pods may be provided with integral electricity and/or water meters to allow users to monitor their rate of consumption thereof. Main water pipework, soil pipework, electricity cabling, telecommunication cabling and associated isolation valves can be provided adjacent to or on the same side of the pod to permit an ease of access thereto. Preferably a suitable access means will be provided adjacent said meters/pipework/cabling/valves to facilitate said ease of access.
It is expected that the service pod of the present invention should benefit the end user due to reduced housing costs, improved reliability of the build quality of the finished building whilst providing a traditionally constructed building envelope.
Also, the transport means that can be present on the service pod may provide the potential to upgrade and resell the service pod, thus the pod will provide an adaptable and flexible life-long solution for the building and the user.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided therefore a method of constructing a building wherein:
a building envelope is constructed, said envelope comprising at least external walls, floors, ceilings, and a roof;
the envelope is provided with a service pod access means; and
a service pod in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention is subsequently introduced into the building envelope.
Preferably, the service pod access means is provided in an external side wall to permit access to the interior of the envelope to the service pod. Such an arrangement would allow convenient access and the service pod could be pushed/rolled into the desired position within the pod.
Once the service pod has been introduced into the envelope via the service pod access means, the external wall can be sealed by any convenient means, such as via a window(s), a door(s) and/or by a continuation of the materials used to build the external walls (block-work, bricks, etc).
Embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example, with reference to the following drawings, in which:
The plan view illustration of
The sectional side view illustrated in
One embodiment of a lower storey of a multi-storey pod is illustrated in
A further embodiment of a lower storey of a multi-storey pod is illustrated in
The staircase section (16) illustrated in
The staircase section (16) illustrated in
An embodiment of an upper storey of a multi-storey pod is illustrated in
Electrical sockets (38) have also been provided to the end section of the pod to permit convenient access to an electrical power supply to the room defined by the pod adjacent to that end section of the pod.
Turning now to
Turning now to
The base of the frame work of a pod is illustrated in
A completed framework is illustrated in
In the following
Claims
1. A prefabricated service pod comprising:
- a central framework adapted to accommodate at least one utility means, said utility means being selected from: an electricity supply, a telecommunications/data supply, a water supply, a waste fluid drainage conduit, and a ventilation supply; and
- at least two sections attached to said framework selected from: a kitchen section, a bathroom section, and a staircase section.
2. A service pod in accordance with claim 1, wherein the service pod of the present invention further comprises an entertainment section attached to said framework.
3. A service pod in accordance with any of claims 1-2, wherein the central framework of accommodates the at least one utility means in at least one void located within said framework.
4. A service pod in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the central framework comprises a plurality of voids therein to accommodate said at least one utility means.
5. A service pod in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the central framework of the service pod has a lattice construction and is adapted to accommodate the at least one utility means within the voids in said lattice.
6. A service pod in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the central framework of the service pod has a plurality of attachment means adapted to accommodates the at least one utility means adjacent thereto.
7. A service pod in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein all of said utility means are accommodated within/adjacent to the framework.
8. A service pod in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the utility means can be substantially integrated in the service pod.
9. A service pod in accordance with any of claims 1-7, wherein all of the utility means are substantially integrated in the service pod.
10. A service pod in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the central framework is arranged to form a cage-like structure having open sides thereto to permit access to the sections attached to the central framework.
11. A service pod in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the pods is provided in a single storey format.
12. A service pod in accordance with any of claims, wherein the pod is provided in a multi-storey format.
13. A service pod in accordance with claim 12, wherein the multi-storey pod is integrally formed.
14. A service pod in accordance with claim 12, wherein the multi-storey is formed in single storey component parts to be connected to each other and/or adapted to communicate with each other on-site.
15. A service pod in accordance with any of claims 12-14, wherein the communication between multi-storey pods is provided by at least one of: the at least one void in the central framework of each component part of the pod being adapted to communicate with an adjacent component pod, the at least one integrated utility means of each pod being connected with or adapted to communicate with an adjacent component pod, and/or a staircase portion allowing ease of access to a user from one component pod to an adjacent component pod.
16. A service pod in accordance with any of claims 12-15, wherein at least one of the pods is preferably provided with a staircase section to permit a user an ease of access to each storey of the pod.
17. A service pod in accordance with any of claims 12-16, wherein the pods are arranged to be stacked substantially directly on top of each other.
18. A service pod in accordance with any of claims 12-16, wherein the pods are arranged such that only a portion of the upper pod is stacked on the lower pod.
19. A service pod in accordance with any of claims 17-18, wherein the stacking of the component storeys of a multi-storey service pod may be achieved by directly connecting adjacent pods to each other.
20. A service pod in accordance with any of claims 17-18, wherein the stacking of adjacent pods is by connecting them to internal and/or external structures of the building in suitable spaced relation to each other to permit communication between said component pods.
21. A service pod in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the framework is adapted to divide the internal space of a room into two or more distinct spaces or rooms.
22. A service pod in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the pod is provided with removable or retractable transport means.
23. A service pod in accordance with claim 22, wherein the transport means are provided in the form of wheels or rollers mounted on legs that can be mechanically raised and lowered into the pod.
24. A method of constructing a building wherein:
- a building envelope is constructed, said envelope comprising at least external walls, floors, ceilings, and a roof;
- the envelope is provided with a service pod access means; and
- a service pod in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention is subsequently introduced into the building envelope.
25. A method in accordance with claim 24, wherein the service pod access means is provided in an external side wall to permit access to the interior of the envelope to the service pod.
26. A method in accordance with any of claims 24-25, wherein after the service pod has been introduced into the envelope via the service pod access means, the external wall is sealed.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 23, 2006
Publication Date: May 27, 2010
Inventor: Gary McLuskey (London)
Application Number: 11/993,805
International Classification: E04H 1/02 (20060101); E04C 2/52 (20060101); E04H 1/04 (20060101); E04F 11/02 (20060101); E04H 1/12 (20060101);