Construction Fixings

It took just  23 hours to assemble the improved prototype of the aid house that stood in Lviv, Ukraine, opposite the container settlement for internal migrants – using Klimas Wkręt-met brand fastening techniques at every stage of the project.

The first building, designed using the Styrofoam Housing System (SHS) by Japanese architect, Shigeru Ban Architects, was assembled in 2022 by staff and students from the Faculty of Architecture at the Wrocław University of Technology.

The Wrocław team explained: “The prototype modular building is a solution created for people affected by disasters or wars. The construction is based on prefabricated elements, lightweight and inexpensive to produce, which are then joined together to form the building – with no skills require to assemble. Due to its modularity, and the repetitive nature of the assembly elements, any shape of such a unit needed can be built. The structure can be connected, like any other building, to electricity or water supplies.”

Part of the team’s task was to adapt original designs to meet the climatic conditions and legal standards of both Poland and Ukraine. This included issues such as the angle of the roof, as well as the use of different insulation, which affect the thickness of the walls. It was also necessary to use materials other than those planned by the designer, as they were not available in Poland. The houses can be used as a temporary shelter for refugees, but also – due to their modularity – as an office or facility for other purposes.

The Klimas Wkręt-met fastening techniques that were used for the prototypes included self-drilling screws, self-tapping screws for wood substrate and flat roof waterproofing, in construction, with butyl tape and other tapes, mounting foams, and adhesives, as well as reliable LB foundation anchors.

The finished modules of the improved version were built in Wrocław and then delivered to Lviv. Compared to the first project, the method of prefabricating the elements was enhanced and the ceilings were reinforced. The house, built from polystyrene, epoxy resin, and fibre, has three types of elements: Long U-shaped elements; L-shaped elements to reinforce the corners of the house; and flat panels 1m wide, 2.5m long and 15cm thick.

According to Ukrainian officials, the house assembled in Lviv will accommodate a day-care centre for children.