Last month we highlighted the profound changes taking place in the construction industry, and how this is driving a revolution in technology and working practices in the building services sector.
Nowhere is this change more striking or important than in the growth in use of offsite modular building services solutions.
This is where all of the building services required in a building – from the simplest office to the most complex hospital – are designed and built offsite in controlled factory conditions.
There is now no doubt that the offsite approach is quicker, greener and more cost-effective than traditional methods of installation in the rough and ready conditions met with on-site.
It replaces multiple onsite trades, with all the related issues of skills, health and safety and management, with a dedicated workforce operating in pristine factory conditions.
Cost is often considered the primary driver in our industry. This is certainly a major benefit of the offsite modular approach, saving up to 30 per cent compared with conventional approaches.
However, those using modular solutions report other major advantages that are equally compelling. They find offsite solutions are invariably delivered on time and to an exceptional standard of quality and finish, which simply cannot be achieved by traditional methods.
In a market where projects are geared to ever tighter timescales, and pressure to improve quality has never been higher, offsite building services are seen to deliver – on time, every time.
This gives contractors a decisive edge in the marketplace.
Traditionalists maintain that conventional installation onsite is flexible and can better cater for the inevitable variables met with in the real world.
The truth, however, as demonstrated in project after project, is that issues can be ironed out beforehand during the design and planning stage – before a boot has landed on site.
The secret, of course, is close co-operation between the contractor and modular offsite engineering project team, from project inception to delivery. This constructive, detailed, almost - dare I say - intimate dialogue is central to success.
For our part, as one of the leading suppliers in the market Wolseley is committed to the modular engineering approach. We have invested in a new state-of-the-art facility in Worcester that is already supplying solutions for some of the biggest construction projects in the UK, from schools and offices to hospitals and major retail developments.
The offsite revolution is no longer a future prospect for our industry. It has arrived, and the benefits are available for all.