GS Engineering & Construction develops 20 standard floor plans for steel modular buildings

GS Engineering & Construction has developed 20 standard floor plans for steel modular buildings applicable to a range of uses — including apartments, officetels, hotels and dormitories — and will link them to a building information modeling (BIM)-based construction cost estimation system to help customers conduct rapid feasibility reviews.

According to GS Engineering & Construction on Monday, the development focused on enabling clients to select a design suited to their intended use and scale from the earliest stage of a project and to estimate expected construction costs efficiently. The company aims to sharply reduce the time spent on design and cost reviews that had previously been handled on a project-by-project basis, maximizing decision-making efficiency.

Steel modular construction is a smart building method in which major structural components and finishing materials are prefabricated at a factory and then assembled and installed on site. While the approach offers shorter construction timelines and superior quality control, design and cost reviews that reflect modular characteristics are complex, making feasibility assessments difficult at the early project stage.

To ease that burden on the market, GS Engineering & Construction drew on its accumulated residential design expertise and modular manufacturing technology to complete the standard floor plans. The company provides floor plan drawings, 3D models and interior perspective renderings together, allowing customers to immediately compare and review options suited to their circumstances without any separate initial design work.

The standard floor plans were designed to standardize module dimensions while allowing for diverse combinations. Bay configurations have been expanded compared with conventional layouts to enhance the sense of openness, and the plans also propose module placement alternatives based on the building's central core — including stairwells and elevators — in addition to individual units.

The product lineup has also been diversified. Apartments and officetels are centered on compact residential products with improved space efficiency, while the hotel category covers a range of room types from business class to luxury and residence grade. The lineup also addresses both public and private demand, with options for dormitories, youth housing and military accommodations.

The company has also built a system linking the standard floor plans with BIM models to calculate expected construction costs in real time based on a chosen design. Customers can compare and analyze various floor plan and building layout options from the outset and quickly determine whether to proceed with a project.

GS Engineering & Construction has also built a steel modular standard floor plan portal to improve customer convenience. Through the portal, users can view floor plans by intended use, 3D models and interior space images at a glance, and use the platform for real-time design consultations and project reviews.

Going forward, GS Engineering & Construction plans to pursue design registration for the standard floor plans to secure intellectual property rights. Next year, the company also plans to collaborate with the Korea Land and Housing Corporation to expand the range of plans to include mid- to large-sized residential layouts of 65 and 75 square meters, further strengthening its competitiveness in the modular market.

"This development of standard floor plans is significant in that it lays the groundwork for customers to select the optimal design from the earliest stage of a project and quickly review construction costs and feasibility," a GS Engineering & Construction official said. "We will continue to advance our standard products and design-and-cost-estimation integration technology to broaden the base of the modular market."

Meanwhile, GS Engineering & Construction posted consolidated sales of 2.74 trillion won ($2.06 billion) and operating profit of 95.5 billion won in the third quarter of this year.