This article is part of Upstart, a series of young companies leveraging new science and technology.
Last year, Starbucks Built in a sustainable way A drive-through cafe in Abbotsford, British Columbia. About an hour drive southeast of Vancouver. This store was the first of its kind to be built in 6 days with little construction waste, and components such as walls, floors and roofs were manufactured so accurately that an airtight seal was created when assembled. it was done.Design creators say it is expected to be reduced Reduce heating and cooling needs by 30% and reduce store carbon dioxide emissions.
This Starbucks store was built by Nexii Building Solution, Vancouver-based construction technology start-up and a rising star in the expanding green building industry. Nexii was founded in late 2018 by entrepreneur Stephen Sidwell (now CEO). The company reached “Unicorn” status (valued at over $ 1 billion) in 31 months. This is the fastest company in Canada’s history. Nexii.
Climate change is rarely associated with buildings and construction, They account for almost 40 percent of the world’s energy-related carbon emissionsAccording to the United Nations. About 30 percent Of these emissions, they are generated from the operation of the building (mainly heating, cooling, lighting). Another 11 percent The “embodied” carbon, or the carbon released during the construction process itself.
Sidwell created Nexii after being introduced to the inventor and brothers Ben and Michael Donbowski, who have been involved in construction since the 1970s. Over the years, brothers have been plagued by industry waste and inefficiencies, and more recently their impact on climate.
Michael Dombowsky, now Vice President of Building Technology at Nexii, has experimented with a variety of efficient construction techniques over the years before finally creating what will result in Nexii’s patented building system. This includes prefabricating panels for use as part of the walls, floors and roofs of a manufacturing plant and then sending them to the construction site. There, a small team quickly assembles the components into the building. Using its own data and data from the Starbucks store development team, Nexii found that this method was 75% faster than it would normally take to build these stores, said Nexii’s Strategy and Partnership Executive. Vice President Gregor Robertson said. Former Mayor of Vancouver.
Building systems are highly technical, especially 3D modeling softwareGuarantee high precision manufacturing.
“Building design software has made dramatic progress in recent years,” said Robertson. “Therefore, you can use augmented reality to walk through the entire building on the screen and look at all the details to make sure everything is combined very accurately.”
The 3D digital plan is then sent to the manufacturing plant where the panels are manufactured to the correct specifications.
“In the past, construction companies either created minimodels or created them directly from paper plans to address problems and mistakes that occurred during creation,” says Robertson. With 3D modeling, virtually all problems occur and are resolved long before construction begins.
Michelle Meisels, a partner in the engineering and construction work of consulting firm Deloitte (which has no professional relationship with Nexii), said prefabricated and modular construction had been around for a long time, but “it’s a big trend now. In engineering and construction, companies can actually control how buildings are designed, the materials they use, and their ability to reduce waste. “
But the Dombowsky brothers wanted to change more than just the build process. They wanted to find an alternative to traditional concrete, which is expensive, heavy, and emits a lot of carbon dioxide.
Gaulav N. Santo, the first professor of sustainability in Henry, has been the main material used in construction for over 150 years, and cement, steel and concrete have been the main materials used in construction and are not a problem in a climate-free world. I’m saying that. Director of the Sameri Institute of Technology, University of California, Los Angeles, and the Institute for Carbon Management.
“But at this point, there is an urgent need to reduce emissions, so these construction materials need to be manufactured differently or replaced with materials that emit less carbon dioxide,” he said. rice field.
Ben Dombowsky, now Vice President of Product Development at Nexii, has spent 10 years creating an alternative to concrete. In 2017, he introduced Nexiite, a unique non-toxic building material currently used to create panels for Nexii.Outsourced company Rob Sianchuk Consulting Nexiite’s carbon emissions are 20-36% lower when compared to Portland concrete, according to preliminary findings (requiring critical review by a third party) of a third-party panel test in British Columbia. There is a possibility. , Industry standard.And the concrete strength test commissioned by Nexii Metrotest & EngineeringAlso in British Columbia, we found that Nexiite settings are faster — it takes 7 days to reach Maximum strength Not 28 days.
The company competes with a significant amount of modular industry in North America and claims that many companies use green building materials.However, Nexus uses third-party testing with green metrics Publish those results On that website.President of Nadav Marine, Building GreenVermont’s information and consulting firm, focused on the green building industry, cannot specifically comment on Nexii’s claims about Nexiite, but the company “puts a comprehensive focus on health and sustainability throughout the process. The company’s claim that it is undoubtedly a leader in this area. Nexii’s customers are increasingly working to reduce or eliminate carbon emissions. According to non-profit organizations, the world’s largest One-fifth of 2,000 public companies in Japan are committed to reaching zero emissions. Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit..
Currently, Nexus has 400 employees and two manufacturing plants in Canada. The company plans to grow and expand using the franchise model. Authorize and license your local manufacturer Manufactures green building panels throughout North America. Plant owners will be provided with access to Nexiite and the systems and processes needed to manufacture Nexii’s building panels. Once certified, these manufacturers will be able to sell and sell Nexii building products in their respective regions. Ten manufacturing plants in North America are in various stages of development, including one in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, which opened in October, and the other in Pittsburgh soon. The manufacturer pays the license fee and a percentage of the revenue goes to Nexii.
According to Robertson, the company’s current biggest challenge is its leadership and expansion as fast as more than 1,000 investors want.
He acknowledged that there was a risk of growth being too fast. For example, Katerra, a modular construction technology startup founded in 2015 and raised more than $ 2 billion, Filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in June last year..That was one of the problems that led to the company going bankrupt. I tried to do it too fast.. Despite all the investments, Nexus is not yet profitable. (The company didn’t say when it was expected to achieve profitability, but said it was a “significant priority for the foreseeable future.”)
“We’re growing like a software company, but it’s hardware,” says Robertson. “And it takes time to put together factories and put people on production lines and assembly processes. I don’t want to grow fast and burn out. But it’s also a very hungry market.”
