Santiago-based housing developer Inmobiliaria Gestión Urbana united with lightweight construction pioneer and Etex-Arauco joint venture E2E to build 400 affordable, high-quality living spaces in the Chilean neighbourhood of Casablanca (Valparaíso region). The houses cover nearly 10 hectares of land.

Inmobiliaria Gestión Urbana focusses on generating positive social impact and meeting the specific cultural and practical needs of communities. In this case, needs are met with modular housing.

The advantages of modular construction

Thanks to modular construction, every aspect of the offsite manufacturing and loading process is developed in advance. E2E’s highly organised delivery system provides significant logistics advantages and enables rapid, intelligent installation.

This results not only in high-performing, customisable housing, but also in reduced waste. For this project, waste reduction was significant because every worker also received training in waste-reducing construction methods.

Ultimately, the new houses reduce water and heating costs by 50% and electricity by 70%. It’s a great result.

Why build these living spaces?

The Casablanca area is home to 25,000 people. Rental costs in the neighbourhood are skyrocketing due to a long-term lack of new houses. Modular construction technologies offer a huge opportunity to cut costs so that hundreds of low-income families – approximately 1,600 residents – also gain access to affordable homes.

Want to know more about this project? Watch the video here.