## 4 Discussion  
### Construction Costs  
Promoting industrialized construction based on rapid execution, high quality, and low-cost solutions is key for mass housing construction to meet current demands. However, cost variations must not be overlooked, as the construction sector significantly contributes to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of many countries [118], but it also depends on the reality of each sector. The industry contributes 13% to the global GDP [45], and between 2014 and 2018, it showed high global growth compared to others but was severely affected by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Currently, the industry is in recovery, but housing construction requirements have become more stringent to meet modern societal demands. Furthermore, the industry is aligning with global environmental (sustainable) commitments, necessitating the development of new, affordable industrialized construction solutions [119]. On the other hand, the cost of living has steadily increased in recent years, with inflation as a clear indicator. In European countries and various countries in the Americas, this indicator has exceeded 10% annually, posing a general difficulty in accessing basic products (food, health, and housing, among others) [120]. In developing countries, the situation has been no different, with the real estate sector experiencing significant increases over the past two decades. Between 2010 and 2019, housing costs doubled, resulting in an average 40% decrease in home sales [121; 122]. For example, the cost of apartments built with traditional systems is approximately USD 1970 per square meter, whereas housing based on the WikiHouse modular system costs USD 935 per square meter, representing a cost reduction of approximately 50% [25]. In this regard, the costs of a modular building are distributed as follows: materials (26-60%), labor (17-30%), and transportation (10%) [14]. While the use of materials in industrialized construction is like traditional construction, the difference lies in the use of advanced digital technologies and tools that allow for optimized use and reuse of materials, achieving a reduction in the total project cost. Traditional construction, on the other hand, incurs labor costs ranging from 30 to 50%, and the quality of the final product is directly related to the experience of the workforce [31]. Therefore, industrialized construction has gained prominence in recent years by requiring less labor (albeit more specialized), utilizing standardized components, and reducing costs through decreased on-site personnel and plant workforce. The key factor here is the logistics and transport of materials and components for industrialized construction, as their effective management can make it more cost effective than traditional construction. This management is crucial because the distance between manufacturing and construction sites directly impacts costs. This factor is even more critical for modular construction, which transports volumetric elements containing \"empty space\"; hence, poor transport management could lead to increased projected costs. While it is widely asserted that adopting industrialized construction can reduce project costs compared to on-site construction, considerations must be maintained to avoid the opposite effect. Some authors have reported that total costs depend on the specific context of each project [32]. This assertion is because industrialization requires high initial investment to implement advanced equipment (technologies) in a factory, necessitates specialized human capital, is sensitive to the distance between the factory and the construction site, and complicates organizational management [48; 96].