XFrame

We enable clients to design for today and build for the future. We achieve this through art-to-part automation and distributed manufacturing.

What are we working to achieve?

It is our ambition to aid in the transition of the building industry from a linear economy to a circular economy. We are working to establish XFrame as a platform technology in which supplementary technologies and systems can be developed to leverage the XFrame system and consequently advance the uptake of circularity. XFrame aims to begin the transition to circularity in construction by offering a structural frame that is capable of facilitating the recovery and reuse of almost all building layers.

Leveraging the modular precision of XFrame, we want to see existing manufacturers and material suppliers producing XFrame compatible lining, insulation, weather barrier and cladding solutions. Together, we believe that we can build out an entirely different way of doing business in the building sector. We envisage that all products will have direct reuse potential, that they will be pure in their composition, be local in their supply and integrate comprehensive product stewardship schemes that out-live their creators. For this reason, the circular economy principles underpin everything we do.

Modularity without design compromise.

Elimination of construction waste.
Regional manufacturing.
Local supply chains, manufacturing and labour.
Carbon neutrality.
Product stewardship

Company History

XFrame was developed from a vision to create a modular wall framing system that reduces building industry waste and facilitates end-of-life recovery and reuse.

The first XFrame design originated in 2017 during Ged's Masters of Architecture Thesis research. A research award from the New Zealand Institute of Building's Charitable Trust enabled Ged to build the first full-scale demonstration of the XFrame technology at the School of Architecture at Victoria University of Wellington in October/November 2017. With the support of Ged's research supervisor at the time (Senior Lecturer Guy Marriage), Carter Holt Harvey, Makers of Architecture and fellow-classmates, the assembly, exhibition and disassembly of this first porotype proved a catalyst for further research.

The first full-scale deployment of the XFrame system was a 2.7m x 5.4m pavilion. Based on a 900mm module, the system used the identical structural components in both floor, wall and roof elements. The woven structural members and structural logic developed as part of this design remain integral to the latest XFrame technologies. This prototype would have not been possible without the generous support of the New Zealand Institute of Building's Charitable Trust who provided funding to support the fabrication and access to key resources.

In true circular fashion, parts of the first XFrame prototype have been distributed around New Zealand to form beautiful functional walls. A large portion of the components have found a home with Raglan Roast in Te Rapa, Hamilton, with the remainder serving as a divider between studio spaces at the School of Architecture.

(Left: XFrame 1 Prototype, December 2017)

With the support of the Building Research Levy (New Zealand) and Victoria University of Wellington, Ged continued circular economy building systems and circular evaluation research to a doctoral level. Through prototyping activities undertaken in 2018 and 2019 (supported KiwiNet and numerous New Zealand construction firms), the XFrame system began to mature.

In 2019, to facilitate its transition from a niche research outcome to a commercially viable and widely adopted building technology, XFrame New Zealand partnered with industry commercialisation experts from Wellington University Ventures (in collaboration with KiwiNet) and the lnnovyz Institute to found XFrame Australia. The commercial growth of XFrame at this time was supported by Green Industries South Australia and KiwiNet. At this time Carsten Dethlefsen joined XFrame as general manager, allowing Ged to shift his focus to exclusively technology development and deployment. Nine months after establishing the Australian entity, and after the construction of multiple larger scale prototype projects in Adelaide (South Australia), XFrame completed its maiden capital raise (late 2020).

In 2021 XFrame shifted its focus to grow in-house technical capabilities prior to scaling up project delivery activities. Two technical staff joined XFrame at this time to undertake the build-out of software capable of articulating the XFrame system through supplied building plans. Alongside this technical development multiple strategic demonstration and prototypical projects were delivered across Australia and New Zealand.

As of March 2022, XFrame is beginning to scale project delivery capabilities in Australia through a partnership with Smith Management Group (SMG). Having completed a follow-up seed capital raise in January 2022, XFrame has now significantly progressed its systems and processes and is rapidly approaching broad market release.

Development Support

XFrame has been generously supported by organisations across Australia and New Zealand. We thank those who believe in innovation, research and a more sustainable built environment.

We also thank those individuals who have given their time in support of the development of the XFrame technology. Guy Marriage, Dr Antony Pelosi, Dr Morten Gjerde, Nick Forbes, Mitchel Holden, Brandon Wang, Bryan Loh, Graham Crawley, Phil Nelson, Arthur Mahon, Geoff Thomas, Andrew Charleson, Jae Warrender, Carl Lawson.

Pamela Bell, Kerry Finch, Daniel Gudsell, Craig Shannon, Richard Beaumont, Hamish Findlay, Ash Holwell, Warwick Bell, Des Smith, DK, Josh Crosby-Mangels, Christine Ling and Hamish Morgan.