Singapore’s Homeqube Pte. Ltd. is boosting the Philippine housing sector by offering innovative solutions that could make homebuilding faster and affordable for millions of Filipinos.
Homeqube is leveraging advanced technologies to streamline the homebuilding process with an all-in-one platform.
The Philippines has a huge backlog of 6.5 million residential units, but only 140,000 houses are produced each year,
Homeqube through the use of blockchain and artificial intelligence, plans to disrupt the traditional home development business model.
Ambitious plan
Homeqube plans to construct 1,000 houses in its first year of operations using the group’s platform, Home Delivery Service online, that will allow every Filipino to build on any type of acquired land—from beach lots, and farm fields, to residential subdivisions.
The service available on its website covers the permitting phase, the acquisition of materials over two to five months and a swift 30-day installation and delivery.
“We want 1,000 orders,” said Homeqube founder and chief executive Jose Paolo Calma ina recent media briefing in Makati City.
With Homeqube’s home kits, a solidly-built house can be completed for as low as P1 million on a 35-square meter lot as long as the buyer has access to land.
The company plans to launch the platform this month.
Calma said the abundant use of steel and cement for homebuilding, which is too bulky and complex for transportation, leads to elevated land prices as demand shoots up with more people moving to urban areas.
He said these traditional building materials also expose homeowners to a longer lead time of about 18 months, and more expensive project costs due to logistics and middleman fees.
Faster construction
With Calma’s extensive expertise in construction, Homeqube is also introducing innovative building materials, including glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP).
This lightweight yet durable material facilitates easy configurations and adaptations, significantly reducing carbon emissions and the environmental footprint of building projects.
GFRP can withstand harsh weather conditions, including winds of up to 310 kilometers per hour, and is rust-proof, making it suitable for transport by boat. This adaptability is crucial for reaching remote island communities. To support this, Homeqube invested in a carbon kevlar cargo boat to ensure efficient delivery.
These building materials would also allow easy configurations and adaptations, veering away from large-scale and costly construction and renovations.
“By choosing materials that regenerate, we can create a more resilient and adaptable environment, ensuring that our built environment remains a testament to our evolving needs. In short, we can build regenerative homes anywhere and our homes can follow where we go,” Calma said.
Through its innovative approach, Homeqube is not just setting out to meet its ambitious goal of 1,000 houses, but it is also establishing a new standard for sustainable, adaptable living spaces that cater to the needs of the future.
