Canadian company Dirtt provides reusable building components and 3D design software, but is still convincing architects it's more sustainable than other options - and worth the price — The Guardian
My friend Bill wrote this article in the Guardian about a Canadian company called DIRTT, which claims to be reducing construction-related waste with its 3D modeling software and "made-to-order building materials that snap into place". It's being used by companies such as Google and Skechers... check out the article and let me know what you think about this product. Is this as innovative as it sounds? Is there a comparable solution on the market? Would you consider using such a product in your designs?
6 Comments
I have used it in limited amounts for office build-outs, as well as very extensive use in a medical office. There are plenty of pros and cons.
It isn't nearly as flexible as they make it out to be, it is extremely expensive compared to more typical construction and it has a very long lead time once you have completed review of shop drawings. Their local reps try to be as helpful as possible, but sometimes I think they are hamstrung by people further up the corporate food chain. The 3D software they use isn't really THAT great. They like to flout it more so because it makes the shop drawing creation and ordering for them much easier. (If you compare it to Revit, it isn't even close to be as useful.) Which is amusing, since I had to mark-up the shop drawings of the medical office three separate times with corrections. They also don't sell direct, you have to go through a dealer (like most material and product procurement); but that inevitably just adds another layer (and mark-up) to the process. Their doors leave a little to be desired in terms of options and quality. The coordination of electrical and plumbing infrastructure can be a little awkward at times since portions of the wall come out to the site piped and the subs have to then come back out to finish the work beyond just typical finish trim. The wall assemblies are generally thinner than standard walls which can be nice, except when you want to have higher STC-rated partitions or plumbing. If you have electrical and plumbing in the walls they don't just relocate with ease. So, no, they don't work like Legos.
That being said, they make gorgeous products and they keep expanding the options and finishes. If you have the money upfront (and you will need it), it is an interesting option. It is technically-considered FF+E and not built, so it gets amortized much faster like furniture, which is helpful from a tax perspective.
To answer your second to last question, yes, there are other companies out there doing similar things and it is increasing more and more each year.
Pros:
Sleek style, tons of options, installation time about the same as traditional storefront.
Cons:
Twice the price per LF of traditional storefront - which you can also design with any software, can't install card access on barn door style doors and latching mechanism is not secure, long lead times, security is an issue, can't buy direct.
what's better than other partition companies is their narrative.
nice designs and nice client interface, but they're still a partition company, in my mind. they're just pitching it in an appealing way and trying to change their market scope.
which is certainly worth something.
I completely disagree with the comments above! I used DIRTT walls on a 400,000 sf Army Corps project for the Army. My firm works in Revit which the entire project was designed in, but the 3D software developed by DIRTT is amazing, great graphics and easy to use and the client & contractor LOVED IT. DIRTT walls were used for all the private offices & office suites, non-secure conference rooms, copy rooms and storage rooms. Lead times were quick, installation was super-fast, clean and efficient. The entire building was reconfigured, just after the walls were installed (of course), due to change of command, which was no big deal and done without any major construction. Another project that used standard dry wall partitions, on the same base, experienced a $2 million dollar change order and 1 year delay to reconfigure the building after a similar change in command. Just looking at the price tag for DIRTT walls, might lead you to believe they are very costly, however when you add in labor and time, DIRTT walls come in costing slightly more than traditional construction and the value they bring to future churn and change is well worth the price. I found the finishes, construction and ease of installation to be far superior to other walls. Our team looked at many different systems, going to various showrooms for manufacturer to show us how easily their walls could be removed and changed, the only one that could literally be done in less than 5 minutes without special tools was DIRTT. I can’t recommend DIRTT walls enough!
DIRTT is great - used it on 3 projects - I like Their DIRTY ICE system, where you can export Revit models into their game engine software and the DIRTT designers can try various combinations to optimize from a design and price standpoint.
Interesting article. I've researched DIRTT as a possibility for a few projects but wasn't sure about the stability of the product since it seems thin and as a result I would expect a lower STC ratings. I've found another product, which claims to have the same practical functionality of DIRTT but seems to be more robust from a construction design perspective and claims STC's that are much higher. It's called Lada Cube. Have any of you had experience with projects using Lada Cube? Just curious. I might move forward with them on an office project but would love to hear any other feedback from architects who have used this product. Thanks.
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