Offsite construction is the planning, design, manufacture and assembly of building elements at a location other than their final installed location in order to increase the speed of, and efficient construction of a permanent structure.
The term ‘Offsite construction’ encompasses a wide spectrum of innovations, not just volumetric modular units.
The construction industry needs to grasp the concept of construction industrialisation, and learn new competencies, as illustrated on the graphic below.
An industrialised approach requires five key competencies;
Design for manufacture & assembly (DfMA),
Offsite manufacture,
Logistics,
Onsite assembly, and
Best-in-class maintenance.
These competencies are underpinned by eight management skills. You can find out more about these in the School’s management topic.
The School provides hundreds of free learning resources that help to build an understanding of offsite:
Sub-topics– The five elements of industrialisation: DfMA, offsite manufacturing, logistics, onsite assembly and best-in-class maintenance;
Format– Video, e-learning, workshops, webinars. documents or web links;
Competency level – Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert or Leader.
Check out our latest resources, helping us to make Offsite ‘for Everyone’.
In this short video, industry leaders explain how offsite and Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) technologies can help address carbon, skills and productivity issues facing construction.
DfMA – Why Now?
Key Reports:
Whole Life Carbon Guidance for Offsite Construction
In 2023, we investigated how offsite construction can impact carbon emissions across the whole life cycle, from materials to operation. The resulting report, guided by our expert steering group and Offsite Leadership Group Partners, provides advice on the 9 key ways premanufacture can help decarbonise our built environment.
Delivering Social Value through Offsite Construction
Our 2022 report, compiled alongside Akerlof and the University of Salford, explains the ways in which offsite projects can bring about as much, if not more social value than traditional construction.
To help our members develop a holistic understanding of the impacts relevant to offsite construction, we offer a suite of resources on the following key sub-topics:
The Supply Chain Sustainability School teamed up with Kier to create the Modern Methods of Construction database.
It’s really important for clients and professional designers to understand the capabilities of the offsite construction supply chain. This interactive map allows offsite manufacturers to have visibility of who does what in the supply chain and to start the process of building those really important collaborations.
The School is pleased to be part of the Smart Construction Network.
This is a collaboration of organisations who are leading the way in supporting innovative construction firms taking their crucial first steps towards adopting smarter, more modern methods of construction. Since its launch, the Network has grown to include organisations with world-leading expertise in the fields of offsite manufacturing, BIM & digital construction, and high-performance buildings.
“The School is an excellent source of knowledge on DfMA and offsite construction. Its combination of online resources and face to face training delivery means that you can choose the style of learning that best suits your organisation.”
Nigel Ostime, Project Delivery Director, Hawkins Brown Architects
Offsite Assessment
Benchmark your knowledge of offsite processes against the industry, meet client requirements and get your business recognised.