How are wooden modular homes built?

Europeans generally treat half-timbered houses as a curiosity. Meanwhile, these buildings are extremely popular in Germany, Scandinavia and the United States, among others.

Modular wood-frame houses are still little known. Yet they have many advantages that we often don't consider when we dream of our own home. How are timber frame houses built and what are their characteristics?

Modular houses on a wooden frame.

When we think of building a house, we usually think of a brick building, erected slowly and mainly by our own efforts. Often it doesn't even occur to us that there are other options - or if we know about them, we dismiss them in advance. However, building a house is a big and expensive undertaking, so it pays to consider all options carefully.

Modular homes are manufactured in a factory, in parts, and then assembled on a building site. Although in France the term may be associated with prefabricated apartment blocks, much has changed and modular construction is now extremely modern. Buildings are constructed in as little as 3 or 4 months and the cost of construction is often less than that of a traditional house.

Méthode de construction novatrice et respectueuse de l’environnement, les maisons modulaires en bois suscitent un engouement croissant auprès des particuliers. Mais comment sont-elles fabriquées ? Tout commence par la conception d’un plan détaillé, qui servira ensuite à la découpe des différentes pièces de l’ossature en bois. Ces dernières sont préfabriquées dans un atelier spécialisé, puis transportées sur le site de construction où elles seront assemblées selon un processus minutieux et rigoureux. Cette méthode permet non seulement une grande précision dans la réalisation des travaux, mais aussi une réduction significative du temps nécessaire à la construction. En outre, elle offre une grande flexibilité quant aux dimensions et à l’aménagement intérieur des habitations.