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Cost savings, quality and speed: conventional business thinking says you can have two but not all three. But ticking all three boxes is exactly what residential housing developers need to aim for. Add in tough new environmental standards and you have the sort of challenge facing the market today.

For steel building materials manufacturer and distributor OneSteel, a solution emerged when architectural firm Element 2 approached them. The architects needed a framing solution for their elemental housing systems' concept design. Timber was unsuitable and they wanted to avoid the costs, complexity and delays associated with standard fabricated steel structures.

So OneSteel developed a prototype steel house frame system with prefabricated connections, which makes construction easier on site. By using this patented DuraGal system, the house could be built quickly, easily and up to 40% more cheaply, according to Steve Hassell, OneSteel's market manager for building systems.

"The biggest barrier for this type of architect-designed home, with its large open-plan areas, is the cost," he says. "Using the DuraGal frame system, these houses can be built much more cost effectively than comparable open-plan designs."

Speed is key to these cost savings and Hassell estimates that one home could be completed in half the time of conventional builds. "The structural frame OneSteel developed eliminates the costly detailing and fabrication stages, significantly shortening lead times for delivery to site and construction times," he says.

House buyers can select from several contemporary designs developed by Element 2, and then extend their properties in stages by bolting on new sections or adding another storey. All designs feature large open-plan spaces, with plenty of natural light and ventilation, regardless of slope or site orientation.

The frame system also meets New South Wales' BASIX building sustainability requirements for energy efficiency.

Steel was chosen for the building material because it is strong yet lightweight, resistant to fire and corrosion and has tight dimension tolerances.

For more details, call OneSteel Building Systems on 02 4967 0931 or email dfs@onesteel.com, or contact

Element 2 on 0410 696 308.

Story by: Trendsideas