GS Engineering and Construction announced on the 30th that it will apply a 'modular' structure made from a hybrid of wood and steel to facilities including the tea house at the Xi apartment.
The 'hybrid structural technology' developed in collaboration with GS Engineering and Construction and its modular construction specialist subsidiary, XiGEIST, features the combined use of lightweight wooden structures, medium wooden structures, and steel frames, allowing for spacious and open designs without columns, unlike conventional wooden modular systems.
While maintaining the natural texture and aesthetic that wood provides, it ensures the durability and flexibility of the architectural structure, enabling the provision of products with improved design and quality compared to conventional wooden modular systems.
The facilities utilizing the prefab wooden modular system will be first introduced at 'Yangsan Xi Park Felice,' which is currently on sale in Yangsan, Gyeongnam. In the future, there are plans to gradually expand into various facilities such as tea houses and school bus zones in the sold complexes.
Facilities based on modular construction will be carried out using the factory pre-fabrication Off-site Construction (OSC) method, where panels and modules are precisely manufactured at the XiGEIST factory and assembled on-site. This is expected to achieve construction efficiency and eco-friendliness by meeting ▲ shortened construction time ▲ ensuring construction stability ▲ minimizing on-site noise and waste.
GS Engineering and Construction is accelerating its 'off-site construction' (OSC) strategy. Following the introduction of a modular apartment made of steel in Ganghwa, Incheon, earlier this year, it built a two-story sample house using precast concrete (PC) methods at its GPC factory in Asan, Chungnam, completing a demonstration of 'Lego-style apartments.' The construction of facilities within this wooden modular apartment complex is part of this off-site construction strategy.
A representative from GS Engineering and Construction said, 'The prefab wooden modular technology is an alternative that encompasses design, quality, and construction efficiency,' adding, 'Based on our efforts and considerations to provide good products to customers, we plan to consider expanding its application to various forms across residential spaces in the future.'
Meanwhile, XiGEIST, established by GS Engineering and Construction in 2020, specializes in modular construction based on prefab methods. It obtained Korea's first industrialized house certification for wooden single-family homes, completed patent applications for a customized architectural design system and a lifting method for upper structures. Currently, XiGEIST produces high-precision modules at its factory in Dangjin, Chungnam, which has the capacity to manufacture over 300 wooden modules annually, and is also pursuing project-type businesses such as golf hotels and public rental housing.