24 Nov 2024
Join James as he chats with Nigel Kreft from Elevate Structures about the innovative Alpha frame model. Learn how it maximizes flexibility for unit configurations, simplifies conversions, and reduces long-term maintenance costs—all while increasing rentable square footage. Discover why developers are turning to this game-changing solution for self-storage projects. Watch now!
James: Hi everybody, this is James with Radius+. I'm joined by Nigel from Elevate Structures. So Nigel, talk to me a little bit about the Alpha frame model and how it allows for flexibility of unit mix, even despite being a multi-story builder conversion.
Nigel: Yeah, of course. So the Alpha framing system is based on a 10 by 10 grid, but we can go up to 10 by 15, so it allows a lot more flexibility in the design. So with a 10 by 10 grid, you can put a hallway anywhere you want and you can move your units around. So if your demographics change over time, so a housing development comes in or an apartment complex comes in and units need to get smaller or bigger, you have the flexibility to take down the partition walls, leave the frame standing, and then you can redo your unit mix. You can even reconfigure your hallways if you want to put them in a different area. So the way that Alpha is designed is we don't take into account for the partition when we're building the building. There's no engineering in the partition. The old school, low bearing wall, old style stuff, you have to have the partition in place to make the building work. And so Alpha's different from that because it stands alone by itself without the partition, gives you a lot more opportunity for reconfiguration.
James: We love the flexibility and ingenuity of your product. So Nigel, on top of ground up development, what we've seen a lot of developers take advantage of this past year are conversions. Does Elevate CS handle conversions? Has the Alpha frame been implemented in converting any abandoned big box stores and things like that?
Nigel: Yeah, so certainly for a mezzanine system for two stories, right? So you bring the structural framing in below, use Alpha in below, and then put a low non-mode bearing system above. So with our new door and hallway product, our new door that we're offering now, we can give the full gamut. So we can do the structural design, we can do the structural steel, we can do the Alpha, and we can supply door and hallway systems.
James: Terrific, and just speak to me a little about the long-term benefits of the Alpha frame model and how it affects maintenance costs.
Nigel: Sure, yeah, so we have no base track in our buildings. So traditional framing has a base track petition. In the base track, it gets dirty, trashed. People put all sorts of stuff in there. The team that has to come in to clean the units out when you're doing a turnover has to deal with all that stuff. The bottom track actually, believe it or not, takes up more rentable square footage as well. So if you have a management company and they're not gonna pay you for that piece of steel that's taking up non-rentable space. So Alpha actually provides two to 3% more net rentable square foot over a conventional low-bearing wall system. So it's a lot cleaner, there's no sharp edges, and we work hard, and that was part of the development. It's like, how can we make this better?
James: Great, well, thank you for always pushing our industry forward and making things better for developers and tenants alike. Thank you, Nigel.
Nigel: Thanks, James. Cheers, man.
