GenesisTM, the innovative new light steel framed residential housing system designed and produced by Cambridge, Ontario's KML Engineered Homes, continues to win new friends and increase its profile in one of Canada's largest and most competitive construction markets.
Urbancorp's amply named King West Village is a massive, multi-stage project currently under construction just west of the Toronto downtown area. The showcase project includes both tower highrise and townhome components, complete with underground parking ญญ and when completed in mid-to-late 2000, will create a new integrated community of some 1,500 households on what was the former home of Massey Ferguson.
The preassembled sections fit together perfectly, and according to Don Pugh of The Daniels Corporation: "compared to conventional methodology, GenesisTM provides a quieter, cleaner site with greatly reduced waste and much simpler delivery logistics."
The GenesisTM framing system is presently being used on some 392 units at 12 and 15 Sudbury Street and will be used on at least two further townhome segments. The Sudbury Street townhomes are a four-storey Venetian masonry exterior design with a mansard roof. Light steel framing (LSF) of 25-gauge Dofasco galvanized and GalvalumeTM is used throughout on all non-load-bearing locations, with 18- and 20-gauge
structural LSF for load-bearing applications. Floors are 18-gauge structural LSF sections, while the roofs are steel decked with a mansard exterior shell.
Rudy Trevisan, Urbancorp's Executive Vice President, is enthusiastic about the before, during and after construction benefits of GenesisTM and light steel framing in general. "The price stability takes cost control to a new level," says Rudy. "The KML assemblies arrive on-site, on time and it all fits perfectly,... plus the coming and going is greatly reduced. And when it comes to after service, none is required...Warpage and nail pops are nil." Rudy's assessment: "It's a great system...and it's getting better. With the manufacturer installing on-site, process improvements are instantly adapted into the system."
GenesisTM incorporates pre-engineered, preassembled light steel framing (LSF) in place of traditional wood framing. The preassembled sections are easily lifted into place. Pre-engineered openings for doors and windows, and the predrilled openings for plumbing and electrical systems and other features, eliminate the need for drilling by the builder.
The Daniels Corporation (last year's winner, GTA Toronto Builder of the Year award) have much less experience with the GenesisTM steel framing system. Their Britannia Terraces development - an attractive enclave of 60 two-storey, two and three bedroom steel-framed, red brick condominium townhomes on the southwest corner of Glen Erin and Britannia Roads in Mississauga - is the first for which they've used light steel framing. Their motivation, according to Don Pugh, Vice President of Low-Rise construction, was "to keep abreast of the latest technology in the industry, to see what part, if any, it could play in helping us provide better homes for our customers."
While Don feels it is too early for definitive comparisons between GenesisTM and conventional technology, he cites "a quieter, cleaner site" with "greatly reduced waste and much simpler delivery logistics" as definite advantages. He points out that as is the case with most changes, it takes a while to get used to the new procedures and up to speed. "But," adds Don, "I haven't seen anything that makes me doubt that GenesisTM and systems like it will play a big role in residential building over the foreseeable future."
