Pioneering and Engineering

Published on 1 October 2025Time to read: 5 minutes

pionieren en engineeren 1.jpg

Image & Text: Rexel

Circular pluggable installation technology for modular housing

Factory builder Tala specializes in biobased modular homes. Loohuis-Assies Installatietechnieken plays a crucial role in the electrical installations. Together with partners ABB, Isolectra, and Rexel, they are developing innovative circular solutions tailored to modular construction. It’s a journey of pioneering and collaborative engineering. Chris van Vilsteren (industrial installation and circularity specialist at Loohuis), Frans van Loon (key account manager at Isolectra), Ryan Schmidt (industrialized housing expert at ABB), and Ruud Stevens (account manager at Rexel) share their insights.

The Overijssel-based design and construction company Tala manufactures modular homes using CLT (Cross Laminated Timber). These timber factory-built homes are modular, circular, and quick to realize. As a committed partner, Loohuis-Assies Installatietechnieken from Zwolle is deeply involved. Chris explains:“Tala has been active for nearly three years now. Their goal is to build relocatable homes as biobased as possible. Loohuis-Assies contributes to the design and is responsible for the installation technology.”Tala is well on its way to achieving fully biobased construction (90%). One of the challenges lies in the installation technology. Chris continues:“It’s still difficult to make installations biobased, but they can be circular, modular, and demountable. With that ambition in mind, we started this journey together with ABB, Isolectra, and Rexel.

Prefab Plug & play solution
With ABB, Isolectra, and Rexel, Loohuis-Assies Installatietechnieken has suppliers on board who have embraced the circular mindset for over four years and are each working to close their own sustainability loop. This shared foundation led the parties to search for a suitable solution. Ryan Schmidt explains:“Just like the homes themselves, the installation must be modular, standardized, and demountable. That’s how we arrived at a pluggable plug & play installation. The electrical system is pre-assembled in the factory as a ready-to-use prefab solution.”

Wieland Pluggable Installation System
The Wieland GST^® system plays a key role in this setup. Frans van Loon adds: “Isolectra is a specialist in pluggable installation and the exclusive importer of Wieland systems. Wieland GST^® is the most widely used indoor pluggable installation system in the world. It’s designed for fast, efficient, and sustainable installation and is listed in the Dutch Environmental Database (NMD).” For the Tala homes, the ultra-compact GST15i3^® connector was selected. “The homes feature a 28 mm bore from below to the wall socket. This connector is perfectly suited for that application.”

pionieren en engineeren 2.jpg

Lego blocks and colour coding

The modular construction method requires that nearly all components are assembled and installed in the factory.
Chris explains: “It’s increasingly becoming a process similar to the automotive industry. Standardisation is key. We supply all installations as prefab components at the front end. These are assembled in the factory by carpenters.” The construction and installation process is designed so that virtually anyone can carry out the assembly, without risk of errors. Chris continues: “We think in terms of Lego blocks, in building elements. Every component is pluggable, from the distribution board to the gutter system. Colour coding is used when connecting components. The system is fail-safe: it only fits one way. There’s a digital twin of the home, in which the same colour codes are visible. This ensures the installation always matches the original design.”

Completely in tune with today’s needs

Industrial modular construction offers many advantages, including higher quality, greater efficiency, and reduced failure costs. Ruud adds: “Thanks to extensive front-end engineering, even people without an electrical background can carry out the installation. That’s a big plus in a market facing a shortage of skilled technicians.” Frans concludes: “Pluggable installation is perfectly aligned with today’s demands. It also means fewer trips to the construction site, less waste, and so on.”

A different logistics approach

Industrial and modular construction requires a new mindset including in logistics. The team had to pioneer not only in terms of systems but also in how materials are supplied. Rexel is described by the partners as the ‘spider in the web’, a compliment Ruud proudly accepts: “Industrial construction demands precise planning and much more coordination up front. The collaboration has led to several highly specific solutions. These must be prefabricated and delivered to Tala’s factory at exactly the right time. The train must keep running, which means looking ahead and coordinating well.Even the client must decide much earlier what the final result should be. The process is such that you can’t later say: let’s flip a wall and add another socket.”

pionieren en engineeren 3.jpg
Continuous innovation and optimisation

That it’s possible was proven this year in Sittard, where Tala installed 20 circular flexible homes (Tala Woning Flex) this summer to rehouse Ukrainian residents. Naturally, these homes were equipped with prefab pluggable installation technology. Although the parties involved are satisfied with the result, there’s always room for improvement.
Ruud Stevens explains: “We continuously optimise the process. As Rexel, we’re already much better at pre-sorting the various components Loohuis-Assies requires.” Ryan Schmidt adds: “The strength of this collaboration lies in the short lines of communication. Not only during logistics, but also in joint innovation and optimisation.” Frans van Loon highlights another key factor:“We know each other, communicate well, and work together respectfully. That’s how you keep moving forward.”

Deliberate choice of partners

Chris van Vilsteren summarises the collaboration: “It’s a challenge to design composite products based on standardisation. These must be suitable for CLT construction and meet circularity requirements. Coming up with the solution is just the first step. You also want to meet the demands of modern construction and reorganise your logistics processes. It’s truly a comprehensive journey. It’s no coincidence I chose these parties as partners. They deliver quality. If something goes wrong, I know they’ll fix it. The details are incredibly important in this process and we’re discovering them together. We’re increasingly getting into a flow. And the way we’re already doing things now, we can be proud of that.”

Want to know more? Feel free to contact us.

Share on