Published by Ange Davidson Business South December 2022
The need for an extra room is as varied as the products produced by Rapid Rooms, manufacturers of portable buildings based in Invercargill. Starting with a sleepout measuring 2.4 m by 4.2 m, through to a four-bedroom home, Rapid Rooms design and manufacture to a client’s specifics.
In-house designer, Matt McLaren works closely with clients whether that’s a simple sleepout, a functional studio space for a home office, or a meeting room on a construction site. Rapid Rooms can be found in remote locations like Milford Sound and Rakiura/Stewart Island, as well as the urban back yard. “All our buildings are fully consented before they leave the factory floor, and with larger builds, we work with clients get resource consent and code of compliance,” says Belinda Archer, administration and hire manager for Rapid Rooms. “Matt designs our standard buildings for sale or hire, as well as working with clients to build purpose or site-specific builds. “At present Matt is working on a building for the back of a boat! Having Matt on site saves our clients both time and money as changes can be made without delays.” Rapid Rooms rental buildings come in a variety of sizes and configurations and provide plenty of solutions for temporary building needs.
The rental pool has been steadily growing and there are now up to 70 builds to choose from. These are available for long or short-term hire. “There are so many reasons why people might need a temporary space such as a sleepout, a site hut, lunch or meeting room, or an ablution block. You may need to move out of your home while renovating and because a reno or new build can sometimes take six months, not six weeks, we offer flexible rates on all our hires,” says Belinda. Covid increased demand for portable buildings with businesses needing extra rooms for isolating staff and more facilities at medical centres. On the flip side, the global pandemic caused many delays in production due to supply chain issues.
All builds are manufactured on site at Archer Construction Ltd, the parent company of Rapid Rooms, and made from an insulated slip joint panel system with either a steel or timber base and are available in a range of colour combinations. Between an exterior cladding of ribbed Coloursteel and a smooth Coloursteel interior is an insulated panel that is durable, affordable, and easy to transport. Rooms are completed pre-wired and plumbed and incorporate excellent thermal properties. They are quick to manufacture and are made from New Zealand made materials. The robust construction means Rapid Rooms are flexible enough to be used in alpine environments as well as coastal. The insulated sandwich panels can also be used for exterior cladding and roofing of builds such as freezing works and the Wanaka Events Centre. The company work with a local transport provider to deliver the finished and consented build to whatever location you choose. Archer Construction Ltd has been operating in Southland for 40 years and under the helm of Kerry Archer, managing director, since 2003. The company began manufacturing portable builds 20 years ago to meet market demand which shows no sign of slowing down.
Buildings are completely pre-wired & plumbed & incorporate excellent thermal properties. rapid Rooms rental buildings come in a variety of sizes & configurations & provide plenty of solutions for temporary building needs.