Metricon Tests Faster Path to Home Building
Australia’s largest home builder, Metricon, has completed its first pre-fabricated homes pilot project, demonstrating how off-site construction could help accelerate housing delivery across the country.
Completed in just 20 days from slab pour to building completion, the pilot explores how pre-fabricated construction can be integrated into a mainstream volume-building model.
GALLERY
Combining the speed and precision of off-site manufacturing with the quality, design and customer experience expected from a national home builder.
The two pilot homes at Stockland’s Mt Atkinson Estate in Truganina were delivered through a partnership between Metricon, Signex and Stockland. The collaboration brings together Metricon’s experience delivering thousands of homes annually, Signex’s pre-fabricated construction technology and Stockland’s expertise in creating masterplanned communities.
Metricon CEO Brad Duggan said Australia needed to embrace new construction methods to address ongoing housing supply challenges.
“Australia doesn’t have a demand problem, we have a housing supply challenge. If we’re serious about building more homes for Australians, we need to continually explore smarter and more productive ways to deliver them,” Mr Duggan said.
The pilot homes progressed from slab to beyond lockup within four days of construction, becoming weatherproof with fully functioning bathrooms before moving into final completion stages.
Mr Duggan said the project was not about replacing traditional construction methods, but exploring additional pathways to increase housing supply.
“This pilot is an important step in understanding where pre-fabricated construction can play a role within a volume-building environment. It’s about adding another pathway that could help us build more homes, faster and with greater certainty,” he said.
The homes were manufactured using pre-fabricated wall panels produced in a controlled factory environment, allowing for improved quality control, reduced material waste and fewer weather-related delays. Approximately 90 per cent of each home was completed off site before being transported and assembled.
Specialist Metricon division Everyone Homes, which focuses on social, affordable and accessible housing projects, led the pilot. General Manager Sam Gribble said the project demonstrated how pre-fabrication could move beyond niche applications.
“These homes are virtually indistinguishable from conventionally built homes. They’re built on traditional slab-on-ground foundations using high-quality materials, delivering the same look, feel and liveability Australians expect,” Mr Gribble said.
Each three-bedroom home features two bathrooms, open-plan living areas and a 7-star energy rating.
Signex CEO Jeff Xu said the project demonstrated the potential for industrialised construction systems to operate within the standards and processes of a national volume builder.
Stockland Development Director Jackie Kent added that collaboration and innovation would play an important role in supporting future housing supply.
While still a pilot, the project provides insight into how pre-fabricated construction could complement traditional building approaches and contribute to faster, more efficient housing delivery across Australia.
Images via Metricon
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