A new NHBC report on Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) has just been released which looks at the benefits to industry, as well as current reluctance to adoption. The organisation’s head of standards, research and innovation, Richard Smith, explains.
Prefabricated homes have been long-heralded as the future of housebuilding; but, if the arguments for homes to be manufactured like cars are so compelling, why is factory-built housing not more common?
That’s the question a new NHBC Foundation report ‘Modern methods of construction: building on experience’ examines, by scrutinising notable periods of transformation in the industry and exploring the elements of design, as well as the social and economic influences, that fuel change.
The potential benefits of MMC are well rehearsed and compelling, but clearly have not been realised, and conventional construction remains dominant in the UK. In the Foundation’s first report of 2021, we explore why this may be so, cutting out the rhetoric and focusing on technical developments to build on experience and explain why factory-built housing is not more widespread.
This guide aims to educate and inform consumers, builders, investors and insurers about MMC. It dispels the abiding image of post-war emergency housing that, despite its reputation, contained some clever engineering and durable details.
Opportunity
As we navigate the Covid-19 pandemic and fully come out of the EU, there is an opportunity to innovate. This new report looks at the best features of homes from the past to inform the homes of the future.
We can learn the lessons of the past and harness technological advances and digitally enabled design, and deliver efficient factory-made homes to respond to pressing housing need and the climate crisis.
Homes should be better performing, good-looking, long-lasting, be spacious and comfortable for their occupants, and enhance neighbourhoods, creating a distinctive sense of place.
‘Modern methods of construction: building on experience’ is split into three main sections focusing on advancements from the early 20th century to the present day, looking at the roles of steel, concrete and timber materials and how these have evolved over time.
As Mark Farmer, CEO of Cast Consultancy and MMC advisor to the Government, states in the report’s foreword: “We are able, today, to cherry-pick the best of the previous decades, and, in collaboration with advanced manufacturing methods, can transform the productivity and quality of housebuilding. I hope that this guide can be an enabler to change.”
No shortcut
In conclusion, there is no shortcut when commissioning and designing offsite construction systems. Early investment in design, appropriate choice of system, and oversight of onsite operations is essential to deliver high-performing, long-lasting and good-looking homes that meet the reasonable expectations of their occupants.
Factory-made homes could help to unlock the UK’s housing crisis and contribute to tackling the climate emergency if the lessons of the past are learned. These include: following basic good practice construction detailing; using a standard template with homes not appearing monotonous but responsive to their site; and systems built upon and employing existing prefabricated building components.