Finnforest Corporation’s modular building plant at Hartola was officially inaugurated on May 24.
After starting the production line in the purpose-built factory, the housing minister Hannes Manninen, welcomed the initiative which will increase the availability of “single home” dwellings. “Statistics reveal that Finns prefer living in single-family houses, he said. “It is a shame that international comparisons show Finland to be one of the countries in western Europe that is most dominated by apartment blocks, in spite of its vast and sparsely-populated area.”
Homes produced at the Hartola plant consist of three (for a single-storey) or four (for a two-storey) 50m2 modules which are fully factory finished and then bolted together on site. Modular buildings director Heikki Pietiläinen said: “Installing the modular building takes no more than a day or two at the construction site.”
He estimates that around 250 houses will be produced by the Hartola plant this year and 500 in 2006; capacity on three shifts, seven days a week will reach 1,000.
There are currently no plans for exporting the modules although the operating model could be transferred to another country.
