I was really pleased when my manager gave me a data centre project to lead, from the BIM side.”.
The problems found in modular construction are only compounded by inefficient factory working.The cost of any prefabricated component (indeed, any component of any building) can be divided into materials and labour.
If we ignore the cost of the labour that has gone into making the component, we only have material costs left, resulting in limited opportunities to add value.Manufacturers have understood this for decades and spent a great deal of effort developing highly productive assembly routines that enabled the mass production, automation and commoditisation that fuelled the consumer age.. Too often factories are treated as ‘construction sites in a shed' producing bespoke, custom components with overlapping trades and poor works sequencing, causing reduced value and the same inefficiencies that are often found on construction sites.We want the factories that produce components for the construction industry to be more like the best factories making consumer goods; highly efficient, controlled and focused on achieving the highest throughput for the lowest cost, without compromising on quality..
In short, we want factories to be less like construction sites.. Construction Platforms: our MMC approach to achieving the best mix of on-site and off-site construction.At Bryden Wood, we have over 25 years’ experience applying all types of MMC solutions to a huge range of projects.
Our industry-leading approach to MMC has developed over the years to consider ways to maximise the productivity of both off-site and on-site construction works to achieve better project outcomes for our clients.. Much of our thinking has been published on our website, particularly in our series of books about Construction Platforms, including the recently updated.
Delivery Platforms for Government Assets.Our approach was to embrace this complexity, viewing it through the lens of value drivers to find and bridge the gap between the existing and desired state.. As explained in our book.
Design to Value., “each project is unique, but an ethos and approach prevail.
You focus on what you want the project to do, how it should best function and who it should serve - rather than a specific material outcome.”.This may sound obvious but it’s a long way from what often happens.