Success will come from approaching it like a journey and doing things collaboratively..

In addition to volumetric solutions, many other different MMC methods including flat-pack and componentised systems are primarily prefabricated and are often grouped under the umbrella term “Offsite”..The future of construction: not just components.

The MHCLG categorisation of MMC is comprehensive and includes the application of digital tools to drive productivity improvements both on site and in factories.The use of digital tools is an important part of DfMA which relies on capturing knowledge about how a building will be delivered from the earliest stages..The rapid pace of change in digitisation has created a great opportunity to integrate DfMA into projects in ways not previously possible.

Data contained within digital objects can be used to explore, test and validate construction methods from the earliest project stages..The role of the designer is evolving to include the creation and maintenance of digital assets with great potential value.

Parties both within and outside the construction industry are developing new digital innovations to expand the MMC toolkit and realise this value.. A summary of key DfMA principles.

I have tried to summarise the above in simple terms to illustrate how the DfMA landscape can be viewed in the context of the industry.. DfMA is a design approach that considers ways to efficiently construct buildings by manufacturing and assembling their constituent parts..This means we know what’s happening in the UK in terms of energy balance.

We can use that data when considering sustainability in our designs to give a very detailed, current understanding of what the electricity grid is, and what that means for buildings.. We can also use their predictions to understand how the grid is going to decarbonise over the next five to ten years.Importantly, the trajectory for that decarbonisation looks healthy.

What it really comes down to is different scenarios, related to levels of investment, and what that will consist of.Decarbonisation of the electricity grid is a very large-scale endeavour.