The Government has appointed a Buro Happold team to create a standardisation strategy for modern methods of construction (MMC).
The MMC Standardisation Research and Kit of Parts follows the commitments set out within the government’s Transforming Infrastructure Performance: Roadmap to 2030 and the Construction Playbook.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) said the open source project “represents a key step by government to translate policy into practice”.
Landsec used a similar ‘kit of parts’ approach to design for manufacture and assembly on its ground-breaking project The Forge in London, which swept the board at the 2023 Digital Construction Awards.
DLUHC has brought together specialist MMC consultancy Akerlof, Buro Happold, HLM Architects and Limberger Associates to work together on the strategy.
The focus of the project will be on MMC categories 2 (primary structural systems) and 5 (non-structural assemblies and sub-assemblies), as defined in the government’s MMC definition framework.
The project will involve consultation with the wider industry and supply chain to ensure the solutions reflect the requirements of the sector and open MMC market opportunities.
Gaynor Tennant, co-founder and chair of membership organisation for home manufacturers, Offsite Alliance, said: “Standardisation at scale must be built on consensus.
“We are thrilled to support industry engagement for this project. Bringing together manufacturers, consultants, research and innovation institutes and clients to share ideas, challenges and opportunities for standardisation will ensure solutions focus on interoperability and help to unlock barriers within the market.”
