The Government could hardly send out a clearer signal: there will be a presumption in favour of offsite construction on publicly funded projects. The reasons behind this are easy to grasp. We have ambitious targets for building homes and expanding schools, alongside major infrastructure projects that need to be delivered.
Traditional methods show no sign of being able to step up productivity levels to keep pace with demand. And we have a growing skills crisis that can only be exacerbated by Brexit. It has taken a while but policy makers are now convinced that the case for greater use of offsite construction is unanswerable.
But it’s not as simple as just saying we are going to do more offsite construction – there are risks. For one thing, the UK offsite industry doesn’t currently have the capacity needed to meet potential demand.
Bringing new offsite manufacturing capacity onstream will be easier than recruiting more traditional skilled trades. The challenges for offsite will be securing investment for new facilities and recruiting and developing the design and engineering skills that are essential for the process.
There’s also the question of what type of offsite. There are volumetric systems and panelised systems based on steel frame, cross laminated timber and Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs). SIPs have a number of advantages through their versatility and the fact that load bearing and thermal properties are encapsulated in a single panel.
Track record will be important as, no doubt, many newcomers will be keen to exploit the opportunity – quite likely from the traditional construction contractors. Clients need to understand that the process for offsite construction is different. It is much more design and engineering focused. This takes a lot of time and risk out of projects if the contractor has experience of working in this way.
The other thing we should seek to do is avoid the fragmentation of project delivery and complex supply chains that have become features of traditional construction. More partners means more opportunities for miscommunication or to shift the blame if projects go off track.
The Innovaré model aims to de-risk the process by keeping design, manufacturing, installation and project management in house. This is the surest way to guarantee quality, delivery, and building performance. These will have increasing significance as offsite moves from being a niche industry into the mainstream or preferred method.
