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. Prefabricated construction plays a key role in this. As a knowledge partner and programme manager of Clean and Zero-Emission Construction, TNO, together with TKI Bouw en Techniek 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. Newer construction methods produce less CO₂, NOx and particulate matter emissions, enabling permits to be granted more quickly. Cleaner construction methods are therefore essential to maintain housing production levels.

From 2027, 15% of new construction concepts must have demonstrably been built with reduced emissions in the chain. 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 accelerate housing construction and to make it more sustainable. 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 innovation projects were launched in 2024. In the summer of 2025, a further 7 projects were launched. An overview of the projects can be found at SEB Programme Line Prefab | TKI Bouw en Techniek.

Calculating construction emissions

An important tool in developing new prefabricated construction concepts is the Construction Emissions Tool, which maps the emissions of CO₂, NOx and particulate matter. This allows builders to rapidly calculate various designs during the tendering process and check whether they meet the emission targets. The Construction Emissions Tool is being adapted to accommodate an increasing number of construction designs.

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.