FREE Form Factory Limited is ramping up its ‘Build on Your Own Land’ initiative as it seeks to bring more affordable housing solutions to market through its expanded polystyrene (EPS), structural, concrete panel building system.

In addition to driving growth for the business, CEO of Free Form Factory Keith Edwards told the Jamaica Observer that the company’s renewed push in this area aligns with national efforts to expand access to homeownership, particularly among low- and middle-income earners who demand access to better-insulated and more cost-effective and sustainable housing solutions.

“This building system is not new as we’ve been using it in the housing market and construction industry for many years. As manufacturer of the EPS material our aim right now is to expand its use, which is why we are also promoting the build on your own land initiative as we train more contractors to construct homes for Jamaicans wanting to use our approved EPS building system,” he said to the Business Observer.

The company, which has for over a decade partnered with the National Housing Trust (NHT) in supplying material for housing construction, now wants to bring greater awareness to the this solution. Designed primarily for individuals who already own land, the product is approved by the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) and endorsed by all regulated financial institutions.

Promising no hidden costs, prices for the EPS structural concrete units start at $10.9 million for a 687-square-foot (sq ft), one-bedroom dwelling, $13.6 million for an 853-sq-ft two-bedroom, and $16.1 million for a three-bedroom space spanning a little over 1000 sq ft. All units come with bathroom(s), kitchen and living room, and comprise other amenities including epoxy painted concrete floors, electrical wiring, faucets, aluminum sliding windows and an inside laundry room. Custom design options are also available.

The costs of the units factor in foundation build-up, with the company also boasting fast construction times — averaging about two months to get a small unit ready, once material and labour are available.

“We’re starting at 16,000 per sq ft; and it also has to be a flat land as major excavation work will attract additional costs. Though a sewage system is not a part of the package, what we can guarantee is that at the end of construction, what a buyer will get is a complete house that they can move into,” Edwards said.

The EPS homes, built to be climate-resilient and earthquake-resistant, also offer energy efficiency and a cooler space. Edwards noted that the panels — made from pre-stressed galvanised steel mesh and polystyrene foam — are widely used internationally as a sustainable alternative to traditional concrete, which tends to trap heat.

“Right now, aside from the fact that people are just desperately in need of affordable and decent housing, the impending summer heat is also another factor that we want to want to address with these EPS structural concrete panel units,” he further stated, noting that most of the requests for units now come from females, some of whom he believes just can’t deal with the heat.

“We want to have a programme for Portmore residents — most of whose homes are hot — and so we are trying to bring them these solutions where we can clad their buildings to reduce the heat,” he added.

Currently, a number of builders and contractors, the CEO said, are being trained to use the system. “We have a training programme coming up in the next two weeks through which we are targeting about 25 persons that we will train to use the system.”

The EPS panels are produced using state-of-the-art, Italian-based machinery. At the time of its last investment in 2019 the company, Edwards said, spent approximately $400 million to purchase new equipment and another $160 million on warehousing. While no immediate investments are planned, rising demand could in the near future prompt further expansion.

At current capacity the machines can produce up to 300 panels in an eight-hour shift. A small, one-bedroom home requires about 40 panels for completion.

Free Form Factory initially entered the market producing polystyrene bean bags but pivoted in the early 2000s to become a full-fledged construction firm. Today, it supplies EPS materials for property development, road rehabilitation, and other projects. The material is also used to craft decorative mouldings and artistic applications.

Over its more than three-decade-old history the company has contributed to highway repairs; hotel, housing and school developments; as well as a number of commercial projects. Looking ahead, Edwards said the company is preparing to increase exports, with discussions already underway with several Caricom partners.

“We now do a little bit of exporting but in recent times have been getting some attention from countries including Barbados and Grenada, which have both shown interest in our product, and so the future is looking bright,” Edwards said.