Amr Raafat visits Finish Profiles to discuss the future of affordable housing

How are we paving the way for industrialised construction to become the future standard in our industry?

It is a question that Amr Raafat, Chief Innovation Officer at Windover Construction, is on a mission to answer. He has been travelling the world and interviewing industry leaders to find out how these trailblazers are thinking outside the construction box. 

The next leg on his travels is the Netherlands, where Amr meets with Finish Profiles Group’s Director, Dennis Eikenboom. Their discussion focuses in on the future of affordable housing.

Stop 2: the Netherlands

Shaping a better future means building affordable housing without compromising on quality.

That is a concept that Finish Profiles has been pioneering for more than 40 years, with a constant focus on innovation through steel construction.

As prefabrication experts, they are continuously improving their processes and equipment. Indeed, as a Howick client for over 15 years, the business now employs no less than six Howick FRAMA^TM roll-forming machines. Their aim in all this is to advance the possibilities for steel construction, making it more efficient, accessible and sustainable (as you will see, they deliver on impeccable environmental credentials!).

With a focus on merging prefab construction elements with modular elements, BIM data, and front-time engineering they create time and material efficiencies throughout the build process.

At the heart of their operation are refined prefabrication solutions and procedures.

By including integrated engineering early in the design phase and implementing digital processes, Finish Profiles can output steel fabrication through the use of multiple Howick FRAMA^TM machines, which can turn digital designs into components, accurate to the millimetre and all sequenced for the most efficient assembly.

Dennis and Amr explore how the company’s current strategy is moving the business beyond Industry 4.0 and towards Industry 5.0. Here the focus shifts towards collaboration between humans and smart machines to benefit society.

In addition to operating an 100% sustainable production facility and reducing the steel materials used in designs by two-thirds, Finish Profiles goes to great effort to ensure they offset their carbon emissions.

In locations like Gambia, they go beyond construction: training local teams to build with prefabricated light steel components; empowering communities; and opening new doors to growth and prosperity.

It is a holistic approach to building a better future that blends constant innovation with humanity, and at its heart is smarter, more efficient construction using steel framing.

“The steel frame system can be used for everything,” says Dennis. “If there is more known about building with steel, and I think there is a lot of knowledge already there; it only needs to be more in the market and people to be open to it.”

Interested to find out more? Read the full interview here.