Offsite Technology – Disruptor or Major Progression?

Off-Site Hub From Latham to Farmer … and Beyond! Every major review of the construction industry has in some way recommended a move towards offsite construction - from the kind of partnering essential for innovation in offsite suggested by Latham way back in 1994, the capital investment into research and development recommended by Egan in 1998 and more recently, the stark warnings within Mark Farmer's acclaimed Modernise or Die report. Is Off-Site Technology Progressive? The case for offsite is unequivocal but is offsite technology purely a disruptor that challenges outmoded ideas or a progressive step that will transform the way buildings are designed and assembled? Crisis Forcing Change Like it or not, the construction industry is facing a crisis that will force change and radically transform the 'status quo'. With a growing younger population that needs school places and the desperate need for more homes, add to the mix an ageing workforce and a loss of traditional skills that will only be exacerbated by Brexit - then it is clear that outdated construction methods cannot keep pace. Culture Shift There has to be a shift in construction culture and mindset - the industry needs to demonstrate how building professionals can embrace change by welcoming new ideas and technologies, together with the creativity and radical thinking that is evident in the offsite sector. Helping the Step Change Featuring case studies on Designing for Offsite - the Essential Living Greenwich Scheme, two RIBA award winning CLT projects, Grange and Charles Dickens Primary Schools in London; the multi award winning £140 million Macallan Distillery; Project Capella, an £80m 18,000m2 biomedical research laboratory for the University of Cambridge; together with two major airport schemes at Dublin and Heathrow - this event is designed to help make the step changed required by demonstrating what is made possible by embracing new building technologies. Off-Site for Multi-Storey Presentations from Sunesis - designing a solution for the school place crisis, offers an innovative yet standardised approach; offsite solutions for multi-storey buildings, focuses on pre-cast concrete solutions; together with the benefits of solid timber in education projects and cross laminated timber for large scale residential developments. Off-Site Reduces Risk The use of offsite manufactured structural systems is directly influenced by the client's requirements for speed of construction and enhanced quality together with the added benefits of economies of scale, as well as a single point procurement and programme predictability. Offsite manufactured solutions can radically reduce risk for developers and contractors on a number of levels including; financial risk and personal implications of delays, project overruns and accidents on site together with mitigating the impact of an increasingly volatile labour market. Change in Design Approach Architects and designers who have an intrinsic understanding of the benefits of offsite technology, are now moving away from design for construction approaches to design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) principles - DfMA plus digital technology will be at the heart of Spotlight on Offsite. Spotlight Change has to come and Spotlight on Offsite will help delegates keep pace and not be left behind as the offsite revolution gathers momentum. Off-Site for Manufacture & Assembly Resistance to change has been the norm, but challenges from new entrants – e.g. Chinese and Insurance Companies – coupled with changes in other areas are now beginning to bite hard. As ‘OffSite Hub” note, architects and designers are moving toward DfMA, something we have been encouraging for over 20 years. To assist them in doing so our “Easy Timber Frame “ now offers standard size modular timber frame elements for them to use as a design base, cutting down on technical design and engineering to produce win-win results.