The quick answer to this is that one can be used temporarily and the other cannot, but unless you’re renting space off-site, how can a building be used temporarily? The answer is that it all comes down to the process of designing, specifying, and constructing a building. Bricks and mortar create permanence, lightweight metals create temporary use.
Temporary buildings are so called because they can be rented. So a building would appear on your site, the vendor would install it, a lease would be signed, and then the building would be removed at the end of the period. Temporary buildings vary in design and use, but the main similarity is that they are manufactured off-site, making them prefabricated and temporary.
However, not all prefab buildings can be rented. Many steel structures are factory fabricated but can only be purchased as they require considerable ground preparation and offer a long-term solution similar to a permanent building.
Temporary buildings generally fall into two different types. Cabin-type modular structures that arrive as a fully finished “box” and are literally craned into some sort of basic foundation. Or an industrial temporary building that comes almost ‘flat pack’ with the frame ready to be dropped into place section by section. The former is often used for public facilities such as offices or classrooms. The latter has a more industrial use, including storage, workshop space or cargo deck.
These temporary industrial buildings are very different from a permanent industrial building in many ways. The design is minimal; in fact, you could call them ‘out of the box’. There is a selection of materials, but they are basic and offer different levels of insulation. Although colored ceiling and wall panels are available to suit corporate branding or planning requirements, aesthetics are not really a priority. Most of the time they do not need any kind of ground preparation, as they can be built on existing level ground. And while they can legitimately be used long-term or even in place of a permanent building, the wall and roof panels may need to be replaced over time.
It is the minimalist design and simple construction process of these industrial temporary buildings that obviously generates significant savings in terms of time and cost. Compared to new construction, you could easily save 6 months on a project and save up to 70% on upfront costs. However, that does not mean that they are suitable for all applications. Heating a building is now a hot topic, literally! Energy efficiency is vital and a temporary building that is heated 24 hours a day would not be able to withstand the efficiencies of a traditional building. It is for this reason that the use remains efficiently industrial.
Ultimately, the difference between a temporary and permanent building does not always come down to physical attributes, but to business goals, available resources, and sometimes personal preference.
So there are many differences in materials, construction methods, and how they are used, but in today’s challenging business world, it’s nice to have a choice.