The World's Fastest Building Constructions: Innovation, Technology and Speed

Building a skyscraper or a multi-storey building can take years of planning, designing and construction. However, some projects have managed to defy the conventional timeline and achieve remarkable feats of speed and efficiency. Doing so requires sheer innovation, utilisation of technology and breakneck speed.

In this blog, we will explore some projects that have competed for the title of the fastest building construction in the world. 

1. Shelby County Home, Alabama, USA: 3.5 Hours

This single-family home in Shelby County, Alabama, holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest home ever built. It was completed on December 17th, 2002, in just 3 hours, 26 minutes and 34 seconds. The house has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, electricity and plumbing services, and covers an area of 1,200 square feet. The project was a charity initiative by Habitat for Humanity to provide affordable housing for low-income families.

2. Heijmans ONE House, Amsterdam, Netherlands: 1 Day

Heijmans ONE is a prefabricated house that can be assembled in just one day. It was designed by Heijmans, a Dutch construction company, to address the housing shortage and provide rental accommodation for young professionals. The house has a living room, a dining room, a kitchen, a bathroom and a bedroom, and is equipped with solar panels for energy generation. The house can be easily transported and installed on any site with minimal environmental impact.

3. Instacon Tower, Mohali, India: 48 Hours

Instacon Tower is a 10-storey commercial building erected in just 48 hours in Mohali, India. It was constructed by Synergy Thrislington, an infrastructure company, using prefabricated steel modules fitted together on-site. The building has a total floor area of 25,000 square feet and can accommodate up to 600 people. It was completed on December 1st, 2012, and entered the Limca Book of Records for being the fastest-constructed building in India.

4. T30 Hotel Tower and Ark Hotel, Changsha, China: 360 Hours

T30 Hotel Tower and Ark Hotel are two 30-storey hotels built in just 360 hours (15 days) in Changsha, China. They were developed by Broad Sustainable Building (BSB), a company specialising in prefabricated construction technology. The hotels have a combined floor area of 183,000 square feet and can withstand a magnitude nine earthquake. They were completed on January 1st, 2012, and are considered among the world's fastest-constructed buildings.

5. Mini Sky City, Changsha, China: 19 Days

Mini Sky City is a 57-storey skyscraper completed in just 19 days in Changsha, China. It was also built by BSB using prefabricated modules stacked together on-site at a rate of three floors per day. The skyscraper has a total height of 656 feet and a floor area of 1.9 million square feet. It has 800 apartments and office space for 4,000 people. It was finished on February 17th, 2015, and broke the record for the fastest-constructed skyscraper in the world.

These examples demonstrate how innovation, technology and speed can revolutionise the construction industry and create impressive structures in record time. Prefabrication is a key factor that enables faster and more efficient building processes while reducing costs and environmental impacts. Other key factors that have contributed to the rapid construction of these buildings include modular construction, 3D printing, usage of new materials such as pre-stressed concrete and lightweight steel, and utilisation of novel construction techniques. These buildings also prove that speed does not compromise quality or safety, as they are designed to meet high durability and performance standards.

As these technologies continue to develop, it is likely that we will see even faster and more impressive building projects in the future.