Buying a home is becoming a pipe dream for many amid rising cost of living in Pakistan. But the introduction of prefabricated houses, or simply prefabs, have rekindled hopes of house ownership.
Prefabricated housing units now introduced in the country by a South Korean firm under the Naya Pakistan Housing Society are not only cost-efficient but are built quickly.
“This Korean prefab technology we have introduced in Pakistan had long been brought in the US and other countries,” Khubaib Khan, a construction expert, said while speaking during ARY News’ Bakhabar Savera programme. There is not much awareness about this technology in the construction industry, he added.
Explaining how a prefabricated housing unit is built, he said the use of cement and iron rods is limited to its foundation. “When we lay the foundation we use cement and iron rods, after which parts of house built at a factory are assembled at the site,” he pointed out.
Further explaining whether these lightweight structures can withstand strong gusty winds and whirlwinds, Mr Khan said though Posco Magnesium Alloy Coating, or PosMAC, a highly corrosion-resistant steel used in construction of prefabs, is lightweight but equally strong.
He said a prefabricated house has a minimum lifespan of 50 years and can cost up to Rs3 million.
