ARCHITECTURE

What differentiates Struktäll from other offers available on the market ?

Struktäll offers energy efficient houses to be built on site. Composed of prefabricated structural parts, including the famous Structural Insulated Panels (SIP), built by our specialized suppliers, our houses are easy to assemble. In addition, our houses promote better protection of the surrounding nature since their construction in small prefabricated parts, requires less deforestation on the construction site. 

Struktäll projects are accompanied by multiple services such as architectural design, assembly plans, a dedicated General Contractor, coordination of vendors, cost estimation service, manufacturing, supply, logistics and delivery to site. All supported by the New Home Construction Warranty (Garantie de Construction Résidentielle – GCR).

Can I get a personalized plan ?

Yes, Struktäll offers the customization service for its models, as well as the possibility of creating completely new houses, according to your tastes and the constraints of the location to be built. This service comes with pre-established packages depending on the scope of the task to be performed.

What are your timelines for designing a custom home ?

The delivery time of a concept depends on several factors which can vary from one project to another, but in general, the design of a house can be spread over a few weeks since we first proceed to the reflection on the layout to present plans in two dimensions (2D). Following their approval, we create a three-dimensional (3D) proposal before producing a site plan to present to the municipality and the financial institution. These stages usually take place over a period of four to six weeks.

What is the difference between a self-build project and a turnkey project ?

In self-construction, the frame, exterior doors, windows, roofing, air barrier and interior divisions are included, while in turnkey formula we add the foundation, the exterior cladding, plumbing, electricity, gypsum laying, jointing, painting and flooring. These two formulas exclude the finishing of the bathroom and the kitchen.

Are your plans stamped with the seal of an architectural professional ?

Absolutely. The final plans are signed and sealed by an architect or an architectural technologist accredited by their professional order. Moreover, all our projects are checked and approved by our Head of design before being sealed.

Do the details of the structure appear in your plans ?

All the plans that are given to customers are only related to their immediate needs. For instance, the site plan for construction permit applications and mortgage financing or the specific plans for self-builders who complete certain stages of construction by themselves. However, no fully edited final plans are given to the customers since the latter are borne by Struktäll and are used during the construction of the structure which is the most important stage and which is itself assumed by Struktäll.

Can changes or adjustments be made to the plans ?

Absolutely. What could be more interesting than having a house built according to your tastes. We take great pleasure and make it a priority to develop each project according to everyone’s expectations. We offer a range of packages depending on the task at hand for changes or additions to plans. This is also one of our most important service proposals.

What type of foundation is included in your plans ?

The majority of our models presented on the struktall.com site are planned on a concrete slab on the ground (monolithic slab). However, we can adapt the plans to meet certain floor or space requirements. In some cases, for example, it may be preferable to plan a different foundation from that originally planned option to satisfy a constraint escarpment, friable soil or, quite simply, the addition of space in the form of a basement level.

How are dimensions and areas measured ?

The dimensions of our homes are generally measured in gross square feet. This means that we are measuring the overall outside limits of the house. This way of doing things is more precise for the evaluation of the costs of each project. This method of calculation can also be useful for certain projects, such as open areas where the clearance allows the addition of mezzanines or terraces. These more specific cases may involve the addition or not, depending on the case, of habitable square feet. We always keep cubic spaces in mind when evaluating a project.

Can you help us select building materials ?

Obviously, the choice of building materials can have a significant impact on the cost of your project or on its final aesthetic result. We therefore make it our duty to advise you and direct you to quality solutions that are easy to install and durable.

What are the advantages of PIS Structural Insulated Panels ?

Structural Insulated Panels are very airtight and considerably reduce thermal air leaks. They provide a considerably more comfortable and healthy interior space. They have an impact on the long-term heating bill and have a positive impact on ventilation and air conditioning needs. These panels also help improve the speed of construction and reduce the energy consumption. Structural insulated panels are more easily integrated into an ecological construction approach such as LEED, Passive House or Net-Zero.

They mainly offer the following advantages:

  • Faster installation on site
  • Less labor required
  • Reduction of the margin of error on the construction site
  • Reduced on-site waste management
  • Increased energy performance
  • Elimination of thermal bridges
  • Better indoor air quality
  • Reduced overall energy bill

What about kitchens and bathrooms ?

We have chosen to leave the realization of the kitchens and bathrooms to the discretion of the customers themselves for several reasons. However, we do not leave customers alone with this task. We can refer each of them to external resources who will understand their needs and who will work with Struktäll to complete the project as a whole.

CONSTRUCTION

Can you build our house ?

Yes. Struktäll offers a three-step service: architectural design, evaluation and planning of the costs of materials and labor and finally, the construction of the house with the support of a general contractor accredited with the Seal of Residential Construction Guarantee (GCR).

We build houses by offering two options to our customers, either the self-construction option allowing the customer to manage his project with the exception of the erection of the structure by Struktäll or the turnkey option, allowing the customer to have greater peace of mind, leaving Struktäll to take care of the fine details of the construction of the house. Please note that the turnkey option does not include the preparation of the land by an excavator, the finishing of the kitchens and bathrooms.

Can Struktäll houses be built anywhere ?

Yes. All our houses are planned by considering the technical factors of bearing or foundation by engineers who transmit recommendations to the architects before producing the final plans.

As for municipal regulations, they vary from place to place. This is why we ensure that each project has been validated by the client with his municipality before starting. We also produce a site plan for each project so that our clients can apply for a building permit in due form.

With regard to mini-homes, we recommend validating the possibilities of building directly with the municipality. We can then adjust the dimensions of it ,according to the criteria that will be required.

Can your plans be used to carry out a construction project without your collaboration ?

Yes. On very rare occasions, some clients have the opportunity to build their project by themselves or with the collaboration of relatives working in the industry. In this case, we offer the possibility of paying a single acquisition fee that allows them to do everything without our participation. Please note that the final construction plans and the copyrights attached thereto remain the exclusive property of Struktäll.

Do you excavate, install the well, septic tank or septic field ?

No. Our mission is to accompany you well to carry out your project, but we do not prepare the ground in anticipation of the assembly phase. However, it is likely that we will be able to direct you to external resources to accomplish these very specialized tasks. All you have to do is tell us about it during the preparatory phase of your project. We will then be able to see if there are resources available at the planned date and place of construction.

Do you offer land surveyor or soil technologist services ?

No. Land Surveyor and Soil Technologist visits should generally be scheduled early in the project process. We recommend that you make an appointment with these specialists as soon as you have decided on the location and positioning of the house. Consequently, we will be able, when the time comes, to discuss the ideal positioning of your house according to the desired luminosity and the rules in force in the chosen sector.

Can the construction costs presented on your website be subject to change ?

Yes. Since the price of materials and labor fluctuates constantly, we review our prices on a regular basis. Note that prices may also fluctuate depending on the specific characteristics of your project. Thus the final price is established when establishing the final construction budget, just before placing the final order for your project.

In addition, in order to guarantee you a fair budget balance during the development process of your project, we work with reference scales allowing you to forecast disbursements.

Our goal, like you, is to carry out your project according to your prerequisites, taking into account the down payment and the mortgage budget.

Can you clarify what is included in the construction cost estimates you present ?

Beyond mortgage financing, we recommend that you include the following elements in your budget planning, namely the visit of a land surveyor for the surveys of your land, a technologist for the soil tests and the excavation for the preparation of the field, because these steps are essential for the realization of your project and are not an integral part of Struktäll’s offer.

Struktäll offers two options, one for self-builders and another for people who prefer a turnkey formula.

First, our turnkey formula offers the assembly of the structure of the house on your land. This formula therefore includes the erection and assembly of the framework, the exterior doors, the windows, the roof covering, the air barrier and the interior divisions. This formula also includes the foundation, the exterior cladding, the plumbing, the electricity, the installation of the gypsum, the pulling of the joints, the paint and the ground cover.

As for the self-construction formula, we also build the structure of the house on your land. This formula includes the frame, exterior doors, windows, roof covering, air barrier and interior divisions. It excludes the foundation, the exterior cladding, the plumbing, the electricity, the laying of the gypsum, the pulling of the joints, the paint and the ground cover.

Note that these two options exclude the finish of the kitchen and the bathroom.

What are your construction deadlines ?

Construction timelines depend on several factors which can vary from one project to another, but in general, following the design of the house which was spread over a period of four to six weeks (1), we proceed the realization of the final plans and the final estimate of the project during another period of four to six weeks (2).

Following this, we proceed to order the building materials which will require a production period of eight to sixteen weeks (3), depending on the case. It is also according to the delivery dates confirmed by the suppliers that a construction date will be determined.

Finally, an assembly period of two to four weeks (4) must be planned on site to complete the project.

Generally, it takes a minimum of eighteen weeks to complete the process with us, from the design phase to the final construction phase.

Do you offer some interior design service ?

No. We only offer three-dimensional (3D) renderings during the design process of the house, but for the sole purpose of presenting a realistic view of it.

What are your guarantees ?

There are three forms of guarantee provided for in Struktäll’s offer, namely the professional guarantee of the architects or engineers who sign the documents, the guarantee on building materials offered by the suppliers and protected, in Quebec, by the consumer protection law and finally, the the new Homes Warranty (Garantie de Construction Résidentielle – GCR) offered in Quebec, on newly built houses.

Can you convert my current house into a Struktäll house ?

We are open to taking on certain projects to transform existing houses into a Struktäll house. It is therefore a renovation project, so we reserve the right to accept or refuse a project depending on the level of complexity it will represent for us.

In the event that we go ahead with a renovation project, this project will be limited to the building only. It will not include any interior decoration design. Our offer only targets architecture.

Are there any houses you've built that we could visit or just go look at ?

This is a question that comes up often, but it is not our policy to give addresses to visit for the following reasons :

  • First, we have chosen not to have a model house, in order to reduce operating costs as much as possible, to the greater benefit of our customers.
  • Secondly, our company being relatively new in this market, our projects are in development for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
  • Thirdly, it is essential for us to maintain the confidentiality of information related to our customers and their contact details. We will therefore never give their address.

We thank you for respecting this decision.

PROCESSES, CODES AND REGULATIONS

Do your plans take specific regional snow roof loads into account ?

Yes. This is why each of our projects is developed as a unique solution. The house, the place of construction and the annual precipitation level in the area are considered when planning it.

What about engineering ?

Engineering is part of the Struktäll process. Whether it is the foundation or the structure, we call on the services of certified engineers to validate the work of the architects when necessary. These two professional orders work hand in hand with Struktäll in order to carry out complete projects with total confidence. The most common engineering works are load bearing calculations on structures.

Do your plans and constructions comply with municipal regulations ?

Our plans must respect the laws and regulations of all government levels, including municipalities. We ask our clients to provide us with information about the sector of the city where they plan to build, in order to adapt their project to the guidelines prescribed by it.

Can you build the same house more than once ?

Since all plans issued by Struktäll are governed by copyright law, each time a Struktäll house is erected, it will have to be subject to a collection of copyright in accordance with the criteria of authorization issued by Struktäll. This is normally a fixed fee established between the parties when developing the project.

In the case where there is only one construction, the question does not really arise, but when it is envisaged to build several houses, it is imperative to discuss the question with a member of our team. Contact one of our representatives to find out more about this.

Struktäll works with property developers who build the same house several times with us.

Does copyright law apply to your plans ?

Yes. Copyright law applies to all our design, architectural and engineering work.