The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has updated its Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) guidance.
The move follows an update of the RIBA Plan of Work. The Overlay (as the guidance is known) is aligned with the 2020 Plan of Work, according to BIM+.
The key changes are:
- the stages, stage outcomes, procurement strategy and defined terms have been updated to match the RIBA Plan of Work 2020;
- the tasks associated with the modern methods of construction categories have been incorporated and the necessary procurement tasks associated with each category identified;
- the BIM tasks have been expanded to include wider digital processes and use of data;
- platform approaches and the delivery of programmes of projects that pertain beyond a single project timeline have been recognised. These approaches can impact the design stages of a project by creating key Stage 5 level information before a project begins;
- the tasks associated with delivering an effective asset handover and early feedback on delivery of DfMA approaches and use of MMC have been added; and
- the reuse and recycling considerations of pre-manufactured products at the end of an asset’s useful life have been included.
The Overlay has been produced by a group of experts led by Nigel Ostime, partner at Hawkins\Brown, and Ian Heptonstall, director of the Supply Chain Sustainability School. Its publication is supported by Akerlof, Buildoffsite, Kier, Supply Chain Sustainability School and UK Research and Innovation, and is endorsed by Mark Farmer, founder of Cast Consultancy and the government MMC champion for homebuilding.
Farmer said: “This Overlay comes at a crucial time and if we are to fully enable adoption of technology and modern methods of construction and the better outcomes we strive for, then the overarching principles of how we initiate projects and organise the design and production process needs to be reformed and this Overlay provides a blueprint for that.
“The high profile of the RIBA’s Plan of Work as a project management and control tool makes the Overlay a practical and powerful addition to the tools necessary to modernise the industry and I look forward to seeing its adoption across industry.”
