THIS IS THE HOUSE WHERE MERKBAU COULD REACH THE STRUCTURALLY COMPLETE STATE IN A DAY AND A HALF

In addition to MerkWood division, which was established in 2021, the company has also launched a pilot project in Kiskunhalas: the CLT house project is nearing completion. Our photographer visited the construction site (his photos were supplemented with pictures taken during the construction in the gallery – editor), and we asked József Győrfi, the head of the timber architecture division, about the essence of the technology.

How new is this technology in our country?

It cannot be said to be a new or even completely unknown technology, as there have been houses and industrial facilities made of CLT in Hungary for years. I would rather point out that many people are not familiar with this type of construction method. Hungarian designers must be made aware that building with bricks and concrete is not the only way. I would add that this is also due, among other things, to the fact that we do not yet have a culture of wood architecture.

The MerkWood website, created by MERKBAU, lists several advantages of this solution compared to traditional house building. Which of these would you highlight?

CLT has quite a lot of advantages, but in my opinion it is outstanding that due to its designability, a CLT building can be assembled to a structurally complete state within a few days, so I would definitely highlight the time savings and good designability. The structurally complete state of the model house we built was reached within 1.5 working days. It shows the advantages of this system over traditional construction methods quite clearly.

When was the MerkWood division set up at MERKBAU and with what specific objectives?

MerkWood as a brand was created in 2021. The management of MERKBAU Zrt. is constantly looking for opportunities for innovation and this is the reason for the creation of MerkWood. Our specific goal is to use this form of construction to build industrial facilities, public institutions, blocks of freehold flats and residential buildings. Our team is constantly growing, because we need good professionals. To this end, a timber industry structural designer will join us in early August.

Where are you now in achieving your goals, including where is the Kiskunhalas pilot project?

MerkWood has long-term objectives, and our start-up is based on introducing our model house in Kiskunhalas to the public. We also have enquiries and ongoing projects that we are currently working on. This year, we will also have a project in Nagykovácsi. The element plans for this project are already in the final stages.

Our project in Kiskunhalas is progressing well, as scheduled, thanks to good management and professional staff. At the moment, there are several technicians on site. I would like to point out that the façade insulation has now been fixed.

Can we already see what lessons can be drawn from the pilot project? How successful is it?

We have had experiences with the demo house and they are all positive. As we invested more time in the preparatory and design work, our construction was completely smooth. It’s important to note that the CLT structure was assembled by our own team, who were exposed to this technology for the first time and in a few hours acquired the knowledge that they will be able to use in future projects. However, I would say the project will be successful if the general public will consider it as such and if this technology will be accepted and sold on the market.

As far as experience is concerned, it is worth pointing out that the location of the construction site must always be examined. This is important because these CLT panels are transported by trucks, and therefore an adequate infrastructure is a prerequisite.

What is the next step?

Our next step will be an independent project in Nagykovácsi.

What might need to be changed and what challenges do you face?

We would like to introduce CLT technology to as many people as possible, to designers and structural engineers, which is why we are building our model house in Kiskunhalas. We will organise open days where you can see the demo house. This way we would like to demonstrate the best of our expertise and answer any questions arising. Currently, the biggest challenge is the explosion in the price of timber. According to some analysts, the price of timber will only start to fall early next year, which will cause builders to delay most projects.