“Reduce Onsite Labour, Minimise Installation Time” with Modular Construction
Modular building systems manufactured offsite and assembled onsite can mean less resources and shorter timeframes for delivery. This can help the building sector meet the urgent need for residential, commercial, and education development in Ireland. Here’s how Actavo Modular and QBM worked together to demonstrate the best of modular construction on a recent school project.
Construction projects in the education sector, while not unique when compared to other sectors, are complex. The main requirement? Minimal onsite disruption. With dozens or potentially hundreds of learners and staff that could be disrupted by building activity, minimising onsite activity is ideal – but traditionally was not possible.
Modular buildings are a perfect solution for education sector projects, offering speed, flexibility and, importantly, minimal disruption. The offsite nature of construction also allows builders to more easily control the quality of unit manufacturing, track project costs, and minimise the impact of weather on construction timelines. It explains why public sector bodies charged with delivering educational facilities, from early childcare through the adult education, now often look to modular manufacturing companies.
Actavo Modular has a solid track record here, specialising in the design, construction, and onsite installation of turnkey modular buildings for creches, schools, and colleges across Ireland. Operating from a 55,000sqm manufacturing facility in Kill, Co. Kildare, the company acts as a main contractor and, in many cases, a supplier for onsite works.
One recent success for Actavo Modular has been delivering the Hollywoodrath School project as part of the Department of Education’s modular buildings programme.
The company built 80% of each module and then assembled them all onsite to form a state-of-the-art, two-storey building in Hollystown, Dublin 15, covering 4,223sqm. Initial construction timings were projected for 24 months, but the speed and efficiency of offsite manufacturing reduced the timeline to just 10 months – with minimal disruption to the local site. And Hollywoodrath students had a brand-new building to use in time for the start of the 2025/2026 academic year!
While the pros of the onsite assembly and installation of prefabricated units is plain to see, much of the success of this project starts with the manufacturing process and products. QBM is a leading supplier of roofing materials, with the Dublin-based company supplying specialist roofing and façade systems designed to integrate seamlessly with the modular construction process for Hollywoodrath School.
Its Elevate RubberGard EPDM Warm Roofing System, together with QBM insulation and vapour control layers, provided a high-performance solution accommodating building movement while maintaining long-term waterproofing integrity. QBM’s Kalzip Foldable aluminium system for the façade offered A1-fire rated non-combustibility to meet fire safety requirements and support principles of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).
David Butler, Co-Founder & Managing Director of QBM, explained how the production team roll-formed the panels offsite and supplied them directly to Actavo Modular, enabling faster and more efficient installation.
“Our role was to provide a roofing and façade solution complementing the offsite manufacturing approach while supporting efficient onsite assembly. Close collaboration with Actavo Modular’s project team ensured the solution aligned with manufacturing processes and programme performance goals.”
Co-Founder & Managing Director of QBM
With the integration of this QBM roofing and façade solution into their modules, Actavo Modular were able to assemble higher quality modules seamlessly. This was made possible by the work of Karen Hendrick, Procurement Manager at Actavo Modular, who was core to sourcing the building materials from QBM needed to construct these units.
“With the availability of information now, it’s much easier to find out about the products you are getting. And, with the advances in developing new building materials, you have a wider pool of products to choose from too. With the industry moving towards Modern Methods of Construction, the industry is getting safer and smarter – for the people in operations and on the ground too.”
Procurement Manager at Actavo Modular
David added to this, building on what made the Hollywoodrath project so significant:
“The project demonstrated how specialist building envelope solutions can aid the success of modular construction by improving installation efficiency, enhancing quality assurance, and supporting programme certainty. Further, the Hollywoodrath School development shows how MMC can improve project delivery when supported by the right products, processes, and partners. As adoption continues to grow across the sector, we believe MMC will play an increasing role in delivering higher-quality, more sustainable buildings faster.”
Co-Founder & Managing Director of QBM
What is the main factor uniting Actavo Modular and QBM as two successful companies collaborating on a significant construction project? A commitment to upskilling.
Fergal Lalor, Chief Commercial Officer at Actavo Modular, laid out how the company has identified an embrace of MMC skills as critical to its future operational growth.
“We are on a growth trajectory and want to ensure our skills base is ready for that growth. That means when we bring in new people, often from a traditional building background, into Actavo, they need to be well trained and supported by colleagues experienced with MMC.”
Chief Commercial Officer at Actavo Modular
Fergal expanded further:
“In Actavo’s modular division, we promote MMC training at production, technical, and management levels. Internal training is actively tailored to the role and expertise of each individual. This means a short-term productivity hit, but you make that back—and more—in staff fully across the benefits of MMC.”
Chief Commercial Officer at Actavo Modular
Fergal explains that all site personnel spend time training in the manufacturing facility, to see how the modules are assembled with high-quality building systems. For Site Managers this can be up to three months, to ensure they are fully across the prefabrication process. Site Managers also often work with other Site Managers, ensuring they build organisational capabilities as well as leadership qualities. This is complemented by an internal Leadership Development programme, open to anyone in Actavo Modular, to develop strategic thinking around whole-business operations.
Karen participated in this programme, gaining a great understanding of manufacturing and onsite installation in the process and developing her ability to “manage communications around strategic operations and change management.”
For QBM, training in installation skills is delivered through an in-house academy. The company’s upskilling programmes combine theoretical and practical elements of the building system’s design intent, performance characteristics, certification criteria, and role in the overall structural envelope. Installers are guided through installation procedures in a supervised environment covering best-practice, sequencing, quality assurance and health and safety considerations, and common challenges onsite.
“The QBM Training Academy is a key resource for contractors working in MMC environments where precision, consistency, and quality control are vital. With our structured training (and ongoing technical support), we help contractors achieve high-quality installations and maximise the benefits of MMC.”
Co-Founder & Managing Director of QBM
The impact of embracing training in MMC skills for onsite installation is notable. The Hollywoodrath School project, delivered quickly to a high-quality standard with minimal site impact, was awarded ‘Modular Building Project of the Year’ at the recent Irish Building & Design Awards. It goes to show what is possible in the Irish construction industry with a focus on upskilling in key skills such as modular assembly onsite.
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