Soort project:
Project
Thema:
Circular and industrial construction

Prefabricated construction: accelerating sustainable housing construction

Status project

2024 -

In cooperation with

TKI Bouw en Techniek

We desperately need the construction industry on board to help reduce NOx and CO₂ emissions. One solution comes in the form of prefabricated construction. As a knowledge partner and programme manager of Clean and Zero-Emission Construction, TNO is helping the construction industry to work faster and ‒ crucially ‒ cleaner, with a particular focus on prefabricated construction.

More homes, fewer emissions

The Netherlands faces a dual challenge: it needs to address the country’s housing shortage while also reducing emissions in the construction sector. Traditional construction methods are major contributors of CO2, NOx, and particulate matter emissions into the atmosphere.

This results in delays in licensing and construction projects. From 2027, at least 15% of new houses must have demonstrably been built with reduced emissions in the building phase. To meet climate targets while accelerating housing construction, a transition is needed to cleaner construction methods.

Prefabricated construction: faster and more sustainable

TNO sees prefabricated construction as a core part of the solution to sustainably accelerate housing construction. Producing building components in a controlled factory environment optimises processes, reduces waste streams, and cuts down on emissions. Moreover, prefabricated construction offers the opportunity to apply innovative materials and techniques that boost sustainability and circularity.

Support for development and scale-up

Clean and Zero-Emission Construction – Prefab (SEB-Prefab) helps get prefabricated solutions to market faster. TNO is in charge of managing this programme, together with TKI Bouw en Techniek. Innovative projects receive funding and guidance in the development phase. The first 9 projects were launched in 2024, with a second batch of 7 projects kicking off in the summer of 2025.

Calculating construction emissions

When granting a licence for a construction project, it must be demonstrated how the project will help achieve the emission reduction targets during construction. That is why the TNO Construction Emission Tool is being developed further and deployed on these innovative projects.

During the tendering phase of a construction project, potential contractors can use the tool to rapidly assess various housing designs and the CO₂, NOx, and particulate matter they would emit.

Prefabricated construction in practice

These 3 scalable projects sponsored by the Clean and Zero-Emission Construction – Prefab programme show that prefabricated construction immediately has a major impact:

This project is developing a prefabricated scalable stacked construction system for building 7 or more levels. This breakthrough makes an immediate impact, not only by slashing transport and equipment emissions, but also by assembling bio-based components, made affordable thanks to mass production. The lighter structures also allow for faster construction in urban areas that causes less nuisance.

Stacked construction places additional high technical demands on industrial construction methods. The prefabricated components and their joints have to be structurally robust, and the new bio-based materials must be fireproof and soundproof. The biggest challenge is making the construction system technically and financially viable while reducing emissions.

Components are produced on new and existing production lines, which allows rapid scaling up.

In this project, complete bio-based houses are built in the factory and then installed on site as a single unit. The home is laid on its back on a flatbed trailer, transported to the site, and erected in a single hoisting movement. Everything is already in position: from the kitchen and bathroom to fittings and fixtures. The high degree of prefabrication makes it possible to build homes quickly and efficiently, without the disruption caused by traditional construction.

By building these homes mostly from wood, this project stores CO₂ instead of releasing it. The lightweight construction also reduces the need for heavy transport and emissions on the building site.

What sets this project apart is its integrated approach: bio-based materials, full factory production, and a construction process that produces hardly any NOx emissions. On top of the high quality of living, this project offers an immediate solution for sustainable housing construction that is ready to be scaled up en masse.

Adding an extra layer on top of an existing building offers an opportunity to create extra living space within the built environment. Double Top Level is developing a modular housing concept consisting of a wooden main supporting structure and bio-based materials for insulation, cladding, and airtightness. The residential modules are transported to the construction site with as few emissions as possible.

This sustainable and scalable solution reduces CO₂ and NOx emissions by more than 70% compared with traditional methods, thanks to both choice of materials and prefabrication of building components. The construction site acts as the last link in the chain, speeding up execution and reducing emissions.