Industrialised construction

We’ve been instrumental in developing platform approaches and industry-leading research for government and industry partners, including the Department for Education, Ministry of Housing, and Ministry of Defence. Our associations with the Offsite Alliance and MMC Ireland foster relationships with other designers, manufacturers, contractors, and supply chain partners – ensuring the ecosystem of delivery is clearly understood.

To create a better, more sustainable future for the built environment, we’re committed to increasing our industry’s uptake of industrialised construction. Through research, partnerships, and knowledge-sharing to develop best practice. We’re trusted partners with a depth of experience who clearly explain the process for our clients, and identify reliable partners to grow clients’ trust and familiarity with offsite and IC.

Our design approach makes use of highly detailed digital modelling which enables the logistics of design, manufacture, assembly and construction to be tested and refined virtually, before any physical materials are required.

Our experience in developing DfMA digital kit of parts (KoP) toolkits for government, public sector clients, developers, contractors, and manufacturers gives us a breadth of understanding that is unique among architects. Each KoP reflects individual client design requirements, and embeds within it a platform of digital metadata to ensure efficiencies cascade through the delivery from client to manufacture and installation.

The value of a KoP for industrialised construction is in delivering output at scale. A customisable KoP can maintain standardisation that supports industrialised construction over a large delivery portfolio while delivering individual designs unique to their site and context. This is one of the keys to harnessing the power of IC to make better places for people and the environment.

The promise of industrialised construction is achieved at scale when platforms extend across multiple sectors. Our product based building solution (PBBS) demonstrator project was a UKRI funded R&D project to create a platform kit of parts (KoP) for schools and housing. The kit was demonstrated through the construction of a classroom and one bedroom apartment made with the KoP standardised interfaces and assembly methods, and erected by a small group of multi-skilled site operatives.

We worked together with Laing O’Rourke to develop products suitable for delivery in both sectors. Our solution included fully-coordinated designs, standardisation rulesets, standardised component interfaces, and the development of a design guide. This was linked to Laing O’Rourke’s guides for site operative training, required tools, and work tasksheets.

The completed project created savings in all areas of design, manufacturing, and assembly. Best of all, there was a reduction of embodied carbon by 50% and in-use carbon of 30%. These documented statistics prove that up-front investment in standardisation, digitisation, and harmonisation can have significant pay-offs.

MMC construction does not guarantee benefits on its own – it requires a supportive ecosystem of expertise providing appropriate and timely advice. The RIBA and RIAI DfMA Overlay guidance recommends taking on an MMC Advisor to ensure successful delivery, and better outcomes for clients and communities.

Our specialist experience gained from investing in R&D, and working with a wide range of clients, partners, and MMC construction typologies across sectors, puts us in a unique position to help. As MMC advisors we advise on planning, design, coordination, and de-risking the process from the early stages of development, right through to completion.