Strength-to-weight, corrosion immunity and a plus or minus 0.5 mm welded tolerance. The structural decision that makes everything else about a Karlev home possible.
The problem with wood
Stick framing is cheap, familiar and dimensionally unreliable. It shrinks, cups, warps with humidity, rots when water finds it and feeds termites. Every long-term failure mode of a wood-framed home traces back to the frame reacting to its environment.
Why not steel
Steel solves rot and termites but brings weight and corrosion. Heavier structure means heavier foundations, heavier equipment on site and more seismic mass in a state that moves. Aluminum gives us an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio without the corrosion exposure.
What the spaceframe is
A lattice of aluminum members robotically welded into a rigid frame. Every joint is welded to a plus or minus 0.5 mm tolerance, which means unit one and unit one hundred come off the line the same. That repeatability is what lets us pre-fit panels, glazing and MEP in the plant instead of scribing everything in the field.
The downstream effects
A lighter frame means a simpler foundation, no crane on install day, less seismic mass and a structure that will not rot, warp, shrink or feed termites. It is also what allows every component to be sized to pass through a 30-inch opening.
- 10-year insurance-backed structural warranty
- No crane required for assembly
- Components pass through a 30-inch opening