India's first offsite manufactured building gets ready in Deralakatte

MANGALURU: India's first offsite manufactured building gets ready at Yenepoya University campus in the city outskirts. KEF Infra, the infrastructure arm of the Singapore-based KEF Holdings, has completed India's first wholly offsite (factory) made project, a residential project for staff and students, at Yenepoya University campus in Deralakatte. The project, comprising three 8-storey residential buildings covering an area of 1 lakh sq ft, has been completed in a record time of nine months, and marks the successful initiation of a game-changing offsite construction technology that helps significantly reduce the duration and cost of construction. In comparison, conventional construction methods would have taken anywhere between 24 and 36 months to complete a project of similar size, said Faizal E Kottikollon, founder chairman KEF Holdings. All elements of the buildings were manufactured at "KEFInfraOne" wholly owned and operated by KEF Infra in Krishnagiri that, once completed in December this year, will be the world's largest integrated facility for offsite construction. The 208 bathrooms in the project were fully prefabricated, inclusive of all Mechanical Electrical and Plumbing (MEP), sanitary ware, tiling and fittings, in KEFInfraOne and transported 850km to the project site in Mangalore, he told reporters on Tuesday. Innovations in offsite construction, exemplified by KEFInfraOne, not only revolutionize the way buildings are fabricated but also redefine the integration of essential services like plumbing. The seamless assembly of prefabricated elements goes beyond just the physical structure; it encompasses the intricate network of Mechanical Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) systems. With meticulous precision, the plumbing components, including pipes, fixtures, and fittings, are expertly incorporated into the fully prefabricated bathrooms at KEFInfraOne. This comprehensive approach ensures that every detail, from the walls to the plumbing, aligns seamlessly, minimizing on-site challenges and streamlining the construction process. The result is a harmonious blend of technology and craftsmanship, where the expertise of both engineers and plumbers converges to create cutting-edge structures that redefine the landscape of modern construction. The complex for staff and students, comprising 96 apartments, with each floor featuring 12 two-bedroom units, was completely designed, pre-engineered and manufactured at KEFInfraOne. The state-of-the-art facilities is the only plant in the world to design, pre-engineer and manufacture every element of a building, which include wall panels, hollow core slabs, bathrooms, facades, windows, doors etc. - at a single location. "KEF Infra's construction technology is well poised to bring speed, skill and scale for projects that will enable greater value and impact creation. This is evident from the fact that we were able to handover the Yenepoya residential project in a record nine months since its groundbreaking. If the traditional method of construction were to be deployed, a project of this magnitude would have taken up to two to three years to complete," Faizal said "The project underscores our expertise in offsite construction using precast, prefabricated bathrooms, joinery, aluminum glazing and stone processing. For the first time in India, the innovative Graphic Concrete technology from Finland was used for the facade,"he added. -TOI