Since last year, design-build and technology firm Katerra has been rolling out new goods and services aimed at reducing both the costs and delivery times of large-scale projects, from manufacturing construction materials such as cross-laminated timber to providing project-management software and offering a line of finishes and fixtures.

Few products exemplify the company’s new direction like a bathroom kit unveiled last month at the International Builder’s Show in Las Vegas. Part of Katerra’s new building products brand KOVA, it is a complete system (from wall panels and plumbing to fittings and flooring) packaged and delivered in a single unit, which is engineered for rapid field assembly by two people in a matter of hours. The kit is said to cut the typical bathroom installation time by 70 percent, and can be specified for application in other builder’s projects as well as Katerra’s.

The kit includes everything from finished wall panels and fasteners to fittings and countertops. Photo courtesy Katerra

“Installing a bathroom is one of the most expensive and time-consuming parts of completing a project, so we have spent the last few years developing a system that simplifies the process and saves significant time and money,” said Trevor Schick, head of the KOVA materials business.

The contemporary kits include a tub with a surround structure, vanity with sink, quartz countertop, faucet, mirrors, and towel racks, as well as fasteners and caulk.

Engineered for rapid field assembly, the bathroom can be installed by two people in a matter of a few hours. Photo courtesy Katerra

“As designers and builders specify products, they may go through a lot of different partners for their plumbing, lighting, cabinets, countertops,” says Schick. He adds that now, when developers ask for ways to drive down a project’s cost, “KOVA is now one of the levers those specifiers can pull.”

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