2023-10-18 10:35:00
More specifically, WOODInc provides a glued laminated wood structure which serves as the basis for construction. Four out of ten customers are individuals, and among them, 40% choose to build their house themselves. “It’s accessible to everyone. Once the structure is in place, we manually add insulation and panels of our choice to make the walls,” explains Eric Van De Heyning. This system is therefore suitable for self-builders, workers in training, craftsmen and professionals with the possibility of building approximately 15 m² per person per day. “We can thus build a small house, an extension, add a floor to an existing building… continues the CEO. Everything is made of bio-sourced wood from Austria, with a very long lifespan and above all removable, which allows a building to be modified as many times as desired over time.”
The proposed interior is in wood finish. ©WOODInc
1,800 euros per square meter
Wood serves as an interior finish and the company has developed, in partnership with the University of Hasselt, a removable “cassette-façade” which allows the exterior of the building to be personalized. “In traditional construction, having a house as you imagine it is priceless,” says Eric Van De Heyning. You need an architect, an engineer… With our system, the architect only intervenes for the permit and no need for an engineer. You can have a unique house for less money. The classic ‘turnkey’ costs around 1,800 euros per square meter. We offer the same price but for a biosourced, transformable and dismantling habitat, with reusable materials which therefore do not lose their value.”
Is the future of facades in wood and prefabricated materials?
An advantage for professional customers in particular, who can invest in large volumes, rent them to customers for several years and then easily resell knowing that the materials will have little or no loss of value unlike traditional construction.
“Boxes” to rent
Moreover, WOODInc has developed “boxes” measuring 5 meters by 5 meters. Similar to “large tables”, they can be stacked on top of each other to create a removable structure. The company therefore offers these boxes for rental “as a service”. A 1,000 m² pavilion to accommodate temporary restaurants, a 2,000 m² building for the Dutch Formula 1 Grand Prix, customization of an open space… The applications are numerous, particularly in events. In 2022, WOODInc has rented more than 200 boxes.
The “boxes” make it possible to create ecological buildings for temporary events. ©WOODInc
The company says it has no or very little competition, in any case “not with as much architectural flexibility”. With 20 employees, WOODInc achieved a turnover of 5 million euros in 2022.
Finally, in around 9 months, the company plans to launch an online configurator which will allow you to design your construction in advance on your computer, a bit like when you design your future kitchen or your next dressing room with Ikea.
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