COMMENT
9
Offsite gets another chance COMMENT
Dr Jonathan Evans of metal envelope supplier Ash & Lacy gives a counter view to the consensus on offsite, saying that in the push towards MMC there is a strong case for some key design elements remaining onsite
20
years ago, I gave my most unpopular talk. At an event promoting offsite construction shortly after the publication of the Egan Report, I somewhat rained on the parade by stating that it would never take off unless one or both of two things happened. Either the Government should make it mandatory, or acknowledge there wasn’t enough skilled labour to build onsite. In general, people have massively underestimated the benefits of not having a factory, sending materials directly to where they’re finally used, and only employing workers when they’re needed. Add to that the misplaced notion that main contractors would delight in their supply chains making no mistakes whatsoever, and offsite construction was really up against it.
A previous business of mine was a specialist rollformer, and I set up a company that supplied modular and unitised solutions. We were very excited about it, and pursued many innovations, but like many others, I closed it due to well-meaning clients procrastinating so long that we couldn’t support the factory. It was
crushingly disappointing, as anybody will know who has had to look people in the eye and tell them they have lost their jobs. Despite this experience, it’s time to try again. We are established players in the load-bearing light gauge steel market and building envelope experts, and have just announced an investment in a new framing line and are setting up a new factory to assemble frames. Why? Because something feels different this time.
The inevitability of labour shortages The labour shortage needs to be allowed to play out. This is what offsite construction has been waiting for 20 years. There is enormous latent capacity within the industry. It’s been a constant source of surprise and disappointment to me that we haven’t had more approaches from housebuilders about the supply of 2D and 3D frames. We’ve been making pre-assembled frames for flat-to-pitch conversions for 30 years. I think the chronic shortage of labour is now possibly irreversible, and is reminiscent of what happened
Lewisham Exchange in south London, two residential towers using 3D structural modules by Vision Modular, plus unitised Mechslip brick cladding panels
ADF NOVEMBER 2021
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
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