Our Movers and Shakers series is spotlighting Aotearoa's leading sustainability professionals transforming the way we design, build and operate our buildings and homes. These are the people leading the charge for a more sustainable built environment throughout Aotearoa.
Ged Finch
Ged Finch is the founder and Chief Technology Officer of XFrame – a groundbreaking, waste-free, clip-together modular building system centred on delivering circularity to the construction industry. Ged developed the dynamic product while a Masters and PhD student at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington.
From growing up in Central Otago to growing a global presence with XFrame - how does it feel?
We are entering the beginning of a phase where early deployments of XFrame are being recovered and reconfigured. This is immensely satisfying to see. What was once just a vision for a circular-built environment is becoming a reality. Likewise, we’re starting to see much larger deployments of the technology across varied-use cases. This traction suggests we’re making meaningful strides towards a transition to circularity – which fuels a drive to further grow our impact. It’s a never-ending rollercoaster, however. With success comes a long list of economic, project, technological and business challenges. It’s great to be surrounded by a talented young team tackling these head on.
Has the natural environment of your rural childhood informed your career pathway?
As a kid living in rural Central Otago, I frequently turned my father’s tool-shed upside down. I loved making things – catapults, tree houses, underground shelters. In my efforts to understand the built world there was some pretty serious damage to the farm shed, garden and school compost bins. Although somewhat destructive, these experiences and a rural, self-sufficient lifestyle deeply entrenched within me a love for making.
What fuelled your interest in sustainable building technologies with better downstream outcomes?
In 2013 I relocated to Wellington to study architecture – the move was an opportunity to continue exploring my fascination with making – albeit in a much more structured fashion! From the beginning there was a strong focus on the importance of sustainability when creating buildings. I was captured by the opportunities for sustainable design and innovation.
The significance of these ideas was reinforced during a three-month working holiday in Southeast Asia. Rapid urbanisation, a harsh tropical climate and different thresholds for environmental protection highlighted to me the urgency of finding better ways to build.
Was there a lightbulb moment with XFrame?
The XFrame journey started in early 2017. In the beginning the focus was on material efficiency but as the work evolved it became clear that circularity (reuse) was a more meaningful ambition. With the support of my VUW supervisor, Guy Marriage, we determined a lightweight lattice structure would address many of the requirements of circularity. More than eight years later with hundreds of design permutations, the technology continues to evolve.
Can we have a snapshot of where you’re at?
XFrame focuses largely on commercial interiors – across retail fitouts, education spaces, commercial office spaces, healthcare and government. They’re spaces with potential for high frequency spatial change. Adoption of demountable wall systems has short-term economical pay-back and advantages including shortened on-site construction timelines.
We continue to grow our market presence in Aotearoa – with significant co-working and commercial office projects in the pipeline. Demand in the retail sector is also strong in overseas markets.
We’re operating here, Australia, Canada, USA, UK and western Europe with completed projects in all these regions. We have nine full-time staff in Wellington, three full-time staff in Adelaide (HQ), a Christchurch-based remote team member and a market-entry agency handling UK/Europe and North America.
During your TEDx talk a few years ago you described buildings in Aotearoa as “utter rubbish with a less than 50-year shelf life.” Any update?
There has been some excellent change in Aotearoa’s residential sector since XFrame began. We’ve seen significant growth in multi-unit residential construction –representing more efficient material utilisation and better land efficiency than traditional residential construction typologies. We’ve also seen the continued uptake of high energy performance home building systems - like Flexi House, Hector Egger and others.
But circularity remains a challenge in the residential space – with very little economical drive for such a feature-set.
XFrame has deliberately targeted the commercial market as this sector has more immediate need for built spaces designed to be easily changed. As material stewardship, carbon and waste management policies advance, it’s likely there’ll be a greater economic motivation to adopt circular practices in residential buildings.
Does our construction industry have the motivation to rethink old-school building methodologies and minimise end-of-life building waste?
Absolutely. Through the entire supply chain, we frequently hear construction waste is a huge problem and designing for recovery and reuse is the best way forwards. There are numerous clients, designs and builders who’re motivated to facilitate this change.
That said, deploying circularity requires a change in some ‘status quo’ construction procedures - like programming, service coordination and design detailing. We often face heavy resistance from project stakeholders with opposing motivations. Their views cannot be dismissed, and they need to be brought along on the journey.
Circularity asks more from architects, engineering consultants (services and structural), sub-trades and construction managers than a typical project. It’s easy to let cost, aesthetics or convenience drive decision making – but if circularity is the ambition, then cross-trade coordination and early standardisation must be front of mind for all.
XFrame must be all consuming – how do you relax?
There’s a great deal of enjoyment and satisfaction in the work we do at XFrame. Every conversation with a prospective client or consultant raises the profile of circularity to mitigate the impact of construction on the environment. It’s enormously motivating. Away from the day-to-day I maintain some tutoring and supervision duties at the School of Architecture at VUW. I enjoy teaching as a way to step back from the urgency of manufacturing and project delivery demands.
Your favourite green building?
William McDonough + Partners ICEhouse in Davos, Switzerland is a circular building technology showpiece and great source of debate about adopting these ideas. Closer to home VUW’s Tennent Brown Architects’ The Living Pā is a fantastic demonstration of what a holistic sustainable built environment can look like.