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It was an exciting and illuminating visit to Offsite Solutions in Highbridge last week by the CESW Smart Construction Theme Group. Offsite Solutions are one of the major UK manufacturers of bathroom pods providing a range of designs from basic to high-end luxury and offering a range of light gauge steel and GRP framed standard designs or bespoke solutions.

We visited the factory floor, and some of these key features were witnessed:

• The pressed grp tiled panels for showers that look the same as porcelain tiles but without the challenges of grout thus benefiting from being cleaned easily.
• The aligning system ensures that the porcelain tiles used to remain vertically on the same plane.
• The air of calm and purposeful activity on the factory floor.
• The rigorous testing system for all water supply and waste systems.
• The wrapping and protection systems that allow the pods to be stored outside before delivery to their destination.  

An interesting discussion took place about the technical details of pod installations with Stephen Wade - Palmer stephen.wade-palmer@offsitesolutions.com of Offsite Solutions, Neil Hall from LiveWest neil.hall@livewest.co.uk  and John Hunter from Tercon Ltd john.hunter@tercon.co.uk.

Standardisation is the aim, but it is amazing how many differences there can be in handing, internal design of the the units and adjustments to dimensions in order for the pods to fit into the designated spaces.  In all cases it is important to get Offsite Solutions involved as early as possible to input ideas and expertise into achieving the best and most efficient product that meets the clients’ requirements.

The vast majority of pods are used in framed buildings where repetition and standardisation are possible such as student accommodation hotels and offices. They are either inserted with a floor already installed or with a floor open to the screed. This allows a reduction of floor-to-ceiling heights and permitting the other services to be threaded through the floor.

Pods in Mods? We asked how many of their pods were used in modular construction as we thought this would  lead to further standardisations and efficiencies. They informed us that, this is rarely the case, as each bathroom pod is a freestanding structural unit, i.e., with its  own framing. If inserted into a modular unit, there would be a doubling up of framing, leading to a loss of space, over engineering and a duplication of materials.  Solutions could be created  in the future that incorporate the expertise of Offsite Solutions into modular units, maybe …… bolting them together ? – watch this space for further updates.