Same Type, Different Layout for Tenants
Move Furniture, Remove Walls…Freedom in Remodeling
Pre-fabricated with OSC Method…Reduces Construction Time, “[Edaily’s Hyeong-hwan Kim] In Apartment A, unit 101, single occupant Ms. Kim converted her space into a large living room, leaving only the bedroom and closet intact. In contrast, the family in unit 201, comprising four members, created four separate rooms: a master bedroom, children’s rooms, and a guest room. Meanwhile, the elderly couple in unit 301 opted for a single spacious room and installed a large bathroom for half baths, connecting it to their living room and bedroom.”
In Samsung C&T’s “Next Home” test bed, residents could design their living spaces to fit their lifestyles, customizing room layouts and even the location of bathrooms. Remodeling was possible in just one day, allowing alterations in room positions and wall structures. The reason behind such flexibility is the “Next Rahmen” technique. This method involves a framework where columns and beams are securely connected. By utilizing this technology, the load-bearing structure is moved to the perimeter of the unit, creating a rectangular space without internal pillars. This framework allows for broader and taller spaces, offering freedom for residents to design their homes without predefined rooms or obtrusive walls.
The floors and walls are made from modular, prefabricated materials that can be rearranged as needed. When requiring additional large spaces for gatherings, residents can move the modular “Next Wall” or “Next Furniture” to expand the living room area. In a demonstration, unlocking and gently pushing the Next Furniture revealed a new room. According to Samsung C&T, “When children become students, you can move the furniture walls to clearly separate bedrooms from study rooms, with soundproofing on par with traditional walls.”
Bathrooms can also be placed anywhere due to their modular nature, with plumbing installed in the “Next Floor” allowing freedom in positioning kitchens and bathroom facilities. The test bed exhibited multiple locations for bathrooms. If plumbing isn’t needed, the floor height can be minimized to provide up to 30 cm more space.
A key advantage of the Next Home system is that it reduces construction time and accident risk. Samsung C&T suggests that using the Next Home framework can cut construction time by up to five months for high-rise buildings. The shift from traditional reinforced concrete methods to modular construction can further reduce this time. Furthermore, by employing the OSC (Off-Site Construction) method, which involves fabricating most components offsite, the usual safety issues prevalent in construction sites can be significantly minimized. This freedom in remodeling also reduces construction waste compared to traditional methods.
Samsung C&T aims to extend Next Home technology throughout construction practices. Sang-moo Byeon, Samsung C&T Executive, explained, “Given the current changes, such as a reduction in workable days due to climate change, we’re sharing our vision and technology with other firms by opening our test bed for collaboration.”
While the full commercial application of Next Home technology is not imminent, Samsung C&T plans to implement it in specific projects, such as the Next Furniture in the redevelopment of Banghwa district, Seoul. Byeon emphasized the need for time to develop and integrate these methods into construction, noting that widespread acceptance and cultural adaptation are required for new systems, which is a process Samsung C&T is committed to pursuing.