{"id":71103,"date":"2020-02-03T09:10:43","date_gmt":"2020-02-03T09:10:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=71103"},"modified":"2020-02-03T09:10:44","modified_gmt":"2020-02-03T09:10:44","slug":"offsite-construction-engagement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/mmc-news\/offsite-construction-engagement\/71103\/","title":{"rendered":"Engaging with offsite construction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gaynor Tennant of Modularize<\/a> examines the importance of early engagement in offsite developments<\/h2>\n

As an insider to the offsite construction industry, it\u2019s easy for me to believe that what I think is mainstream is still alien to a lot people in the more general construction sector. Though the offsite construction sector is gaining momentum, there are still tons of questions that I field from developers and housing associations daily. Often these questions and discussions all come back to one simple and singular message, a message that I want to amplify with this article. A message that will benefit you, the customer; a message that I hope will be easy to digest and really help you on your offsite journey.<\/p>\n

It came to my mind to write this article after the second of our Offsite Alliance roundtable discussions. A series of events that have included attendance by several offsite system manufacturers<\/a>, main contractors and industry experts. The aim of the Offsite Alliance is to bring the industry together and speak out with a clear voice to government and developers so that this current offsite construction boom can gather even more momentum and become mainstream. The same message was echoed by the group of industry leaders around the table. The same, simple message that cuts through every issue you might encounter on your offsite journey:<\/p>\n

Early engagement is VITAL.<\/p>\n

There are so many offsite systems on the market, so much \u201cadvice\u201d, so much literature and so many events to attend! The one thing that all of my most trusted and experienced industry peers agree upon is that early engagement is absolutely vital.\u00a0 What do I mean exactly by \u201cearly engagement\u201d?<\/p>\n

From RIBA stage 0, from conceptualisation, from the very first notion you have that you\u2019re going to build something. All the benefits of building using offsite or Modern Methods of Construction<\/a> are truly within reach if you start on the right foot. If you don\u2019t already know, then I\u2019ll remind you, the benefits that you can enjoy are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. A reduction in construction time by two-thirds, compared to traditional methods.<\/li>\n
  2. Higher performing buildings \u2013 they are made in factory-controlled conditions.<\/li>\n
  3. A huge reduction in on-site snagging \u2013 offsite components are checked before they leave the factory.<\/li>\n
  4. Project cost reduction \u2013 when comparing the lifecycle costs, taking into account financing cashflows and earlier handover to customers, offsite is cheaper than traditional construction.<\/li>\n
  5. Less disruption on site \u2013 an offsite house can be delivered and installed in less than 24 hours! Compared with traditional construction that means less noise, less traffic and less disturbance to neighbours.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    So, it\u2019s faster, cheaper and provides better quality and is better for the environment!<\/p>\n

    You can only enjoy these benefits if you ENGAGE EARLY. As simple as that. Don\u2019t bring your building, designed for traditional construction, with planning consent to any manufacturer or consultant and ask them to beat your traditional construction price. It won\u2019t. It\u2019s a waste of everybody\u2019s time. You\u2019ll be trying to make a square peg fit into a round hole. Be very cautious of anyone who tells you they can do it using their system.<\/p>\n

    So, I hope that I\u2019ve made that point clear now. You should be thinking \u201cwho should I engage early?\u201d. Well, M-AR has put it very well in one of their new residential brochures when they say:<\/p>\n

    \u201cIf you have a project in mind, now or in the future, you should choose several companies to visit and speak with. Think of it as an interview process so you can get a real sense of how they operate. Pay attention to how they make you feel in the process (Do you get a warm fuzzy feeling?) this can be a great indicator to the journey ahead. Ask yourself:<\/p>\n