• Mon Sheong’s new long-term care facility in Stouffville will open nearly one year ahead of schedule, with its 224 beds already filled.
  • The Dr. Paul Woo Long-Term Care Centre was built using prefabricated construction methods through Stubbe’s Precast in Harley, Ontario.
  • Prefab construction helped Mon Sheong cut costs by 10–12 percent and reduce timelines by roughly 15 percent.
  • Site logistics, coordination of mechanical and utility systems, and construction flexibility limitations pose unique challenges with prefab builds.
  • Despite the project’s success, Mon Sheong may return to traditional cast-in-place concrete methods for future development phases on their Stouffville site.
  • Bullet Point News spoke with Mon Sheong Foundation Chairman Tim Kwan about the pros and cons of the prefab model.

 

Finishing touches are being added to the interior of the Dr. Paul Woo Long-Term Care Centre on Sandiford Drive. Opening to residents next month, the project will be completed almost a year ahead of schedule. The included 224 new care beds have already been filled, with a lengthy waitlist of more than 900 people now registered.

The Centre is Mon Sheong Foundation’s second long-term care (LTC) facility in Stouffville. The project was delivered in partnership with Stubbe’s Precast in Harley, Ont., one of several prefab builders the Foundation has engaged for LTC and senior living developments.

Following meticulous advance design and engineering work, the prefab structure was constructed in panels at Stubbe’s factory. Each element was then delivered to the site, and the building was assembled piece by piece.

The Mark Carney Liberals’ housing plan promises billions in financing for prefab builders and a streamlined regulatory structure to catalyze greater use of the process. According to the Liberals’ policy document, prefabricated and modular construction methods can cut timelines in half, reduce costs by up to 20 percent, and lower emissions by 22 percent compared to other methods.

In an interview with Bullet Point News this week, Mon Sheong Foundation Chairman Tim Kwan laid out the pros and cons of using the pre-engineered process over traditional construction methods like cast-in-place concrete and structural steel framing.

By rough estimate, Kwan says the Foundation was able to achieve cost savings of 10 to 12 percent. While also supported by a strong construction team of more than 70 tradespeople, pre-engineering contributed to an estimated 15 percent reduction in overall execution timelines.

Uniform design is standard practice under the prefab model. Each floor of the Dr. Paul Woo LTC Centre is the same, containing 32 beds in units with a standardized layout and a private washroom. Some twin corner units are also available for couples, bringing together two standard single units connected by an opening in the dividing wall.

However, the prefab process requires precise planning for plumbing, electrical, ductwork, and other elements moving between floors and through walls. “In a conventional build, whether it is a steel structure or poured concrete, the openings through the floors are a lot easier to locate and build in real time,” Kwan said. “Whereas with prefab, you have to know it all in advance.”

The panels used in Mon Sheong’s building are both hollow and reinforced with tension wires. While this helps keep costs down, those wires are compromised if unplanned holes need to be cut. Whether due to a late change in plans, a mistake, or the relocation of a utility line, such cuts can impact structural integrity and require additional support.

“A typical example is a duct, or a vertical riser that is around two feet by three feet. If it’s off, you’re going to need a bigger hole. For each cut, you have to weld steel underneath,” Kwan told us. “So before they start fabricating in the factory, you have to check all your shop drawings very carefully to avoid this.”

Additionally, ensuring proper fire separation between floors is critical for occupant safety and code compliance. If gaps between prefab panels are too large, achieving the required fire resistance becomes more complex. The construction process must carefully consider building expansion and contraction, margins of error between panels, and thorough use of proper sealants.

Another consideration is the available staging space, which Mon Sheong’s site offers in abundance. Delivered prefab elements must be organized and stored on location while remaining accessible to hoists and cranes for installation. This can prove challenging, or even impossible, within tight urban parcels, especially when managing larger components.

“If prefab works for your project, it’s great. But it’s not for everybody,” Kwan said. “Your team must be able to coordinate every aspect of the build, you have to know everything from day one. Because if you don’t, it can lead to some big problems.”

Such efficiencies have proven beneficial in providing more rapid delivery of much-needed LTC beds in Stouffville. However, as Mon Sheong Foundation looks ahead to future development phases for its Stouffville site, Kwan is unsure whether they will continue with prefab construction.

“One of the reasons why we went with prefab for this project was the elevated costs for development using reinforced concrete pouring,” Kwan said. “Eight to 10 years ago, that form work was very expensive, in part because condo developers were taking up formwork capacity.”

According to Kwan, those costs have come down as new condo development has slowed, resulting in greater availability of needed tradespeople.

“[Cast-in-place concrete construction] is easier for us to manage. The majority of plumbers and electricians, for example, are used to that method, so the general availability of those tradespeople is a lot more compared to prefab,” he added. “In the end, it requires a lot less coordination.”

Kwan noted that many prefab builders are now actively promoting their own pre-designed affordable housing packages. “They are cookie-cutter apartments, and they will work well if you have a wide site. You just plug your building in,” he said. “It’s a good idea, but how many people will take it up?”