Data from Mordor Intelligence indicates that the Brazilian prefabricated buildings market could reach US$4.26 billion (24.23 billion reais) by 2029, indicating growth in the search for solutions that provide greater efficiency, sustainability and cost control in the construction sector.
This modality differs from the traditional model by allowing the manufacturing of construction elements in a controlled environment for subsequent assembly on site. According to engineers Daniel Fonseca Matos and Pedro Leonardo Boaventura Silva Santana, managing partners of Garder Engenharia, this model is gaining more and more space in the sector because it guarantees greater precision and speed, less waste and predictable costs during construction.
In the area of sustainability, for example, Matos highlights that this modality has significant characteristics such as reduced waste, low water consumption and lower emissions of pollutants. “This format optimizes the use of materials and energy, resulting in cleaner construction sites, lower environmental impact and more efficient work.”
With the aim of encouraging the adoption of more advanced and sustainable technologies, the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC) launched the Target Incentive for Industrialized Construction, which aims to integrate public policies, financing and technical training to accelerate the transformation of the sector.
Despite the progress, Santana says there are still technical and cultural obstacles that hinder the expansion of the sport in the country. Among them are the shortage of specialized labor, regulatory limitations and resistance to the new model. “The technical culture is still very traditional, and this requires an effort to adapt on the part of all agents in the sector,” he assesses.
For him, the acceptance of industrialized construction varies according to regional characteristics. Regions with a housing deficit and high construction costs, for example, tend to adopt this model more quickly. “We see great potential in the Center-West and South-East, where space and logistics are favorable,” he emphasizes.
A study prepared by FGV Ibre and commissioned by the Salon de la Construction Moderne shows that the method based on modules and parts built off-site already represents 64.5% of construction processes in the country. The main segment that uses this solution is residential, with 50.8% of work.
Despite this significant number, Matos comments that the sector still faces challenges in consolidating industrialized construction as mainstream practice. Key among them are specific standards, adequate funding, and integration between design and production. “Industrialization is the inevitable future of civil construction. Whoever dominates the production process will dominate the market.”
Data from the Brazilian Chamber of the Construction Industry (CBIC), published by InfoMoney, indicates that the impact of high interest rates, currently at 15%, has led to the revision of the sector’s growth projection for 2025, which fell from 2.3% to 1.3%. Nevertheless, industrialized construction remains one of the main bets to modernize the sector and increase its competitiveness, estimate Garder engineers.
The trend, according to Santana, is that in the coming years the sector will progress in the adoption of systems such as Light Steel Framing, which uses galvanized steel profiles as structural elements, and modular construction. “Thanks to this, companies that invest in innovation and efficiency will be able to strategically position themselves in an increasingly demanding and competitive market,” he concludes.
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