The main reason we have decided to go with modular prefab construction is our desire to out-design the need for local labour to an absolute minimum and minimize the influence the weather can have on the building process and progress..
There are no Icelandic companies that can deliver the cost-effectiveness, quality and experience we can find in the Netherlands and Eastern Europe. In fact, most similar projects in Iceland are also pre-fab units coming from Eastern Europe and even China (but that hotel project gave a lot of headaches I was told).
Our hotel consists of 48 modules. The cabins are made up from 2 halves. We plan to charter a vessel to bring them from a Dutch seaport to Iceland. That’s a lot cheaper and convenient than ro-ro serices. Our own vessel can dock at the nearby port of Grundartangi from which it’s a 30 minute ride over a very quiet road.
If we are lucky, we can negotiate a deal with the owner of a nearby whaling station at less than 10 minutes away. That would make things a lot cheaper and faster but we’re still finding out the maximum draft possible at that dock.
Thorwald’s experience with shipping is definitely a great plus to make sure this logistical challenge will go smoothly.