Preparing your site

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Groundworks and general provisions

Ideally the site will need to be accessible by road or highway to enable a truck or lorry to safely deliver the WikiHouse blocks. If the location is difficult to access it may be possible to use a smaller off-road vehicle for last-mile transport. If you have any queries about this you can speak with the WikiHouse team or your manufacturer.

Your site will need appropriate security fencing, power supply and welfare facilities (for example, access to a WC and rest areas). If you are in the UK, there are specific requirements for site setup as part of the Construction Design and Management Regulations (CDM 2015).

Excavation, earthmoving, and any soil remediation should be carried out well in advance of delivery of WikiHouse blocks to site. You should also have a level area within or adjacent to the site for the unloading and storage of blocks and other building materials.

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Foundations

One of the big advantages of manufactured building components is that blocks can be delivered just-in-time. This enables a build team to have all the groundworks, foundations, and, in some cases, even the landscaping before any of the chassis parts arrive on site. In fact this is the best way to manage a WikiHouse site and build programme, and it's worthwhile choosing a procurement route that allows for this.

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WikiHouses can be constructed on a range of foundation types that are able to support a timber sole plate, including but not limited to concrete slabs, strip foundations, driven piles, screw piles, or portable pad footings. Usually the type of foundation will be specified by the architect and structural engineer to meet the specific requirements of the design brief, ground conditions, and structural loads.

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Tolerances

For precision manufactured building systems like WikiHouse it is critical that foundations are installed within the same tight tolerances that the chassis is designed for. Most importantly, foundation systems must be precisely level (or within +-2mm vertically) across the building footprint, so it’s best to use a laser measure to check this thoroughly.

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Utility connections

Utility connections can be a big cause of delays in your build programme. Coordinating the installation and connection for mains water, sewage, electricity, fibre broadband, and gas can be a slow and painful task with knock-on effects for the rest of the build. At the design stage it's good if you or your designer can detail a single point of entry and ideally eliminate the need for a gas connection entirely by using greener electrical heating and cooking systems.