An automated manufacturing system and method is provided. The system includes a software system and a production system. The software system includes a design module, an engineering module, and a manufacturing module for the design, engineering, and subsequent production of a prefabricated building product. The production system includes a matrix of cells and a plurality of robotic production units configurable with a plurality of production tools. The matrix includes a number of columns and a number of rows, each column representing a product to be worked on and each row representing a type of work to be performed on each product. The system processes a building model and configures each cell to perform specific work with one or more robotic production units and one or more production tools. A prefabricated building product is built in stages as it moves from cell to cell.

A drain assembly for installation in a shower floor, the drain assembly including a drain body including an upper surface defining a top side, and a lower surface opposite the upper surface defining a bottom side. The drain assembly also defines an aperture extending along an axis through the drain body between the upper surface and the lower surface and includes an outlet having a flange and an elongated body. When assembled, the elongated body is configured to extend below the lower surface of the drain body when the flange rests on the upper surface. The drain assembly also includes one or more fasteners configured to couple the outlet to the drain body to form a water-tight seal therebetween, where each of the one or more fasteners are accessible from the top side.

A modular system for creating a temporary plurality of individual living spaces, may include a plurality of anchors, where pairs of anchors create opposing sides of a personal space. A frame may be positioned between the pairs of anchors to create a bedding structure. The anchors may also provide storage space, lights, power source, among other features of a living area. A covering may be used between the pairs of anchors to separate the living space from the rest of the space to improve individual privacy.

Hybrid buildings, hybrid building systems and methods of constructing hybrid buildings are disclosed. First and second building sections forming part of such buildings are also disclosed. One such hybrid residential building (1600) comprises a first building section (1610) and a second building section (1620). The first building section is an on-site construction at a final location for the building and comprises a lower storey (1611) defining an internal volume (1613) that provides a lower living space (1615) within the building, and an upper storey (1617) defining an internal volume (1619) that provides an upper living space (1621) within the building. The second building section defines an internal volume (1623) and is transportable to the final location in a substantially assembled form. The first and second building sections are connected at the final location to form the building. The second building section defines a circulation space (1649) for the building, access between the upper and lower living spaces of the first building section being provided via the circulation space.

Various embodiments are described herein or structures that may be portable, semi-permanent or permanent and made from modular structures for serving a variety of purposes. The modular structures may be made from shipping containers and include air control systems for independently maintaining and transitioning the same rooms of the structure to and from different pressures relative to the outside environment. The rooms of the structures may have wall panels that are constructed to attach to the inner surface of the shipping containers while having a reduced footprint and also laterally engaging one another to increase structural integrity and forming a pressure seal. Various types of compound structures can be formed by connecting the module structures in an airtight fashion by using various seals.

The present disclosure describes a modular building system and method adapted to achieve a more efficient and durable longer-term building solution that can resist adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, and common building material degradation for years or decades, and can be built on remote sites that may otherwise be cost prohibitive to build permanent structures using more conventional building methods. In accordance with an illustrative embodiment, the modular building system comprises of a modular unit that is formed into a unitary building structure that may be interconnected laterally or vertically to form two or more floors.

A prefabricated building module is described. The building module may provide structural stability for a building, including when stacked with like building modules. The building module may provide a service riser for the building. The building module may provide fixtures for the building, including bathroom, kitchen and laundry fixtures. Also described is a building including prefabricated building modules and a method of constructing a building using prefabricated building modules.

Techniques for automatically modulating a physical configuration of a reconfigurable building structure. A reconfigurable building structure may be constructed of physical elements that are movable with respect to one another to facilitate actuating the reconfigurable building structure between a plurality of different physical configurations. The physical configuration of a reconfigurable building structure may be adjusted to accommodate for physical dimensions of an item that is going to be moved into the reconfigurable building structure. For example, a spacing between two shelves may be expanded in response to an order being placed for a large item. In this way, when the item is delivered to a physical address associated with the reconfigurable building structure, various physical characteristics of the reconfigurable building structure may have already been modulated to accept the item.

A service block system defining a living space for a user of said service block system, the service block system including: a) a base frame contained in the living space and delimiting a pair of corresponding rooms of the living space, the base frame supporting at least one service unit selected from the group comprising a bathroom unit and a kitchen unit; b) a displacement mechanism operatively connected to the base frame for displacement of the base frame within the living space in order to adjustably vary corresponding sizes of the rooms in accordance with a displacement of the base frame about the living space of the service block system; and c) at least one connection selected from the group comprising plumbing and electrical connections, for connecting the mobile service block system to a corresponding infrastructure of a building associated to the service block system.

Provided is a portable facility (1) including: a power generation unit (3) and a function unit (5), wherein the power generation unit (3) includes a transportable first housing (H1) and at least one power generation device attached to the first housing (H1), the first housing including a top wall (15), a bottom wall (17), and a surrounding wall (19), the at least one power generation device being one or more of a wind power generation device (7), a solar power generation device (9), and a hydraulic power generation device, and the function unit (5) includes a transportable second housing (H2) and an electric apparatus (11) disposed inside the second housing (H2) and configured to be powered by the power generation unit (3) to operate, the second housing including a top wall (15), a bottom wall (17), and a surrounding wall (19).