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BUILDING CONNECTION
SUMMER 2016
BATHROOM PODS MAKE THEIRMARK
P
refab-AUS, the peak organisation for the pre-
fabricated market expects the sector will account for
10% of the overall market by 2020. That’s good news
for the local pod fabricators but it is also attracting offshore
competition, aided by developers and builders taking up the
opportunity to deal direct at foreign labour rates.
On one hand a key benefit being promoted by the local
sector is quality control but when a completed unit is
coming out of China, there is rightful concern about quality
and defects being raised. The local contracting industry also
has concerns about the loss of onsite jobs to the factory
built sector.
As a means of distancing its brand from imports and
other local competitors, NSW-based Interpod has gained
WaterMark Certification for its completed bathroom pod
solutions.
For many plumbers and others across the plumbing
industry, the ability to WaterMark a complete bathroom
installation might come as news as the common market
view is that a WaterMark applies to an individual product.
Plumbing Connection spoke to Interpod business
development manager Stuart Light to update us on the
growth of the local pod market and the dynamics of the
business model.
“Interpod bathrooms are complete, prefabricated
modular bathroom pods manufactured offsite ahead
of, or parallel to, the onsite construction schedule. The
Interpod system is designed so that when bathrooms are
installed, they look and feel exactly like any other bathroom.
Built in Australia by licensed Australian tradespeople to
exacting standards, our bathrooms comply with all relevant
Australian Standards (AS) building, plumbing, electrical and
waterproofing codes,” says Interpod business development
manager Stuart Light.
Interpod bathrooms can be used anywhere where
repetitious design makes offsite manufacturing more
THE POPULARITY OF PRE-FABRICATED BATHROOM PODS IS ON THE RISE IN MULTI-RESIDENTIAL AND
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS. AND WHILE OFFSHORE-BUILT PODS MAY CAUSE CONCERN WITHIN THE INDUSTRY,
ONE AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURER IS OFFERING A TOTAL WATERMARK CERTIFICATION ON ALL ITS PRODUCTS.
Pod bathrooms are complete, prefabricated modular
bathrooms manufactured offsite ahead of construction.
PREFAB CONSTRUCTION
efficient. Projects have been completed in many sectors
of construction including hotels, residential apartments,
aged care developments, hospitals and accommodation for
defence personnel.
“Our in-depth cost analysis has provided us with
guidelines for maximising project efficiencies. Through this
process we identified that, in order to achieve a benefit,
projects need to have a minimum of 60 bathrooms with a
ratio of at least 50 bathrooms per bathroom type (ie. if a
project has 200 bathrooms, it must have a maximum of
four bathroom types/layouts). The target ratio is 100:1 or
greater for maximised efficiency and bathrooms should
not exceed 3.0m x 2.3m internally. We have a ‘Designing
for Pods Manual’ on our website, which gives information
to assist with maximising project benefits right from the
design phase,” says Stuart.
THE INTERPOD SYSTEM IS
DESIGNED SO THAT WHEN
BATHROOMS ARE INSTALLED, THEY
LOOK AND FEEL EXACTLY LIKE ANY
OTHER BATHROOM.