Building Techniques of Today: Run-ins and Resolutions

In an effort to advance the use of modern methods of construction (MMC) in building quality social housing quickly, Trina Chakravarti, a leading figure in the sector, is facilitating collaboration between housing associations, local authorities, and manufacturers. However, the adoption of MMC faces several challenges that require tailored solutions.

The market for MMC is difficult to navigate due to scepticism and the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' attitude. MMC presents new challenges that need tailored solutions, such as market navigation, financial risk, pay structures, sceptical boards, lacklustre lenders, and a change in perception.

Strategic Measures for Overcoming Challenges

Using Integrated Frameworks Combining Traditional and MMC

Initiatives like the Integrated Traditional Build and MMC Framework in England and Wales allow social housing providers to efficiently procure mixed construction services from established builders and MMC specialists. This helps address supply chain and contractor reliability concerns by involving trusted local firms alongside MMC experts, expanding MMC use in diverse social housing projects.

Addressing Perceptual Barriers Through Education and Collaboration

Overcoming the public perception of MMC as "temporary" or "low quality" requires sector-wide education campaigns, close collaboration between architects, contractors, and clients, and policy advocacy. This can accelerate planning approvals and build confidence in the quality, sustainability, and cost predictability of MMC compared to traditional construction.

Policy and Government Support

Government-backed initiatives, such as Toronto’s modular housing targets, demonstrate the importance of political commitment and funding to scale MMC adoption. However, bureaucratic delays and lack of benchmarking data can slow impact, indicating a need for streamlined regulatory processes, increased research and development investment, and continuous monitoring for improvement.

Financial Solutions and Supply Chain Development

Financial hurdles can be mitigated through frameworks that reduce risk by combining traditional and MMC contractors. Further, strengthening supply chain maturity by developing local MMC manufacturing and contractor expertise ensures availability and cost efficiency, addressing market challenges related to specialized workforce and materials.

Integrating Sustainability Considerations

Suitable MMC options should consider local resources, life-cycle costs, and social acceptance to ensure sustainable, acceptable, and cost-effective social housing.

By implementing these strategic measures, housing associations can tackle the intertwined financial, market, and perceptual challenges. These measures improve procurement efficiency, build confidence, align policy support, and foster supply chain and skill development, enabling faster, higher-quality, and more affordable social housing using MMC.

Sceptical boards are concerned about paying in advance with nothing to show for it until later or possibly nothing ever. Conflict is inevitable when trying to get people to agree on things that will work differently in their businesses, but it can be managed by finding common ground and focusing on high-level performance specifications. Risk as well as reward should be shared in collaborative projects, and the contracting environment should be set up to support genuine collaboration.

Through collaboration, housing associations can aggregate supply pipelines, making it easier to access modern methods of construction as a group. Private investors are hesitant due to upfront capital costs, as building off-site can still be more expensive than building traditionally.

Trina Chakravarti, the Project Director for the Building Better initiative, is leading efforts to accelerate the use of prefabricated components in the social housing sector. Building Better offers free resources to help establish binding risk-sharing agreements. Trina has formed a strong partnership with Procurement for Housing to facilitate collaboration between housing associations and manufacturers.

Despite MMC having been around since the Second World War, traditional construction still dominates the industry. However, with the right strategies and collaboration, housing associations and manufacturers, led by MMC champions like Trina Chakravarti, can put their differences aside to establish a new standard for fast, high-quality builds.

Only five out of around 16 major UK-based public lenders who deal with social housing have considered implementing a funding strategy for MMC-built homes. Until there is good evidence, lenders change their perspectives, housing associations buy in volume, and manufacturers collaborate for greater interoperability, some of these perceived risks will continue.

[1] Integrated Traditional Build and MMC Framework, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/integrated-traditional-build-and-modern-methods-of-construction-framework/integrated-traditional-build-and-modern-methods-of-construction-framework

[2] Building Better, https://www.buildingbetter.org.uk/

[3] Sustainable Modern Methods of Construction, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustainable-modern-methods-of-construction/sustainable-modern-methods-of-construction

[4] Procurement for Housing, https://www.procurementforhousing.com/

[5] Toronto's modular housing targets, https://www.toronto.ca/news/modular-housing-targets-to-reduce-homelessness-in-toronto/

To address the challenges in navigating the market for Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), there's a need for sector-wide education campaigns and close collaboration between architects, contractors, and clients, focusing on high-level performance specifications.
In an effort to encourage the adoption of MMC, authorized frameworks like the Integrated Traditional Build and MMC Framework in England and Wales facilitate efficient procurement of mixed construction services from established builders and MMC specialists, involving trusted local firms alongside MMC experts.
Financial solutions can mitigate hurdles by establishing binding risk-sharing agreements, such as the ones offered by the Building Better initiative, led by Trina Chakravarti, the Project Director for the Building Better initiative.
Collaboration between housing associations, local authorities, and manufacturers, as led by MMC champions like Trina Chakravarti, can foster the use of prefabricated components in the social housing sector, while using technology like data and cloud computing for improvement and sustainability considerations in home-and-garden projects.

Building Techniques of Today: Run-ins and Resolutions