Laing O’Rourke wants projects 90% factory-built by 2025

McGeeney, who revealed that Laing O’Rourke’s manufacturing facilities have been able to operate at full capacity for most of the covid lockdown said several work packages could become more ‘factory-friendly’.

“Structures is one,” he said. “We enter projects later than we would like, which can make it harder to change structural elements. Cladding is not consistent across industry. Finishes tend to be done quite traditionally.

“Getting digital embedded right from tender is key so we can build the project virtually before we reach site.”

McGeeney said he sensed a “marked shift” in attitudes to offsite, with factory environments making it easier to implement social distancing and clients seeing it as a way of de-risking projects.

“We have to plan for any second wave of covid so our projects are not impacted,” he said. “We have more offsite enquiries coming in. Some clients have asked us about redesigning a project to suit DfMA or to prefabricate elements like the structure, the lift shaft, the MEP.

“Even our competitors are asking our businesses about how to embed offsite within their business. Some 50% of turnover at [subsidiary companies] Crown House and Expanded is outside Laing O’Rourke, so we have a chance to shift opinion in the market.”