BUILDING SAFETY ROUNDTABLE
BUILDING SAFETY: DOES VOLUMETRIC STACK UP? New legislation on building safety has the potential to act as a stimulus for offsite construction but what are the challenges and opportunities ahead? A recent roundtable discussed how volumetric modular methods can help 'fit the Bill'.
When the new Building Safety Bill was published in July, it was outlined by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick as a key step in an extensive overhaul to building safety legislation that would create “lasting generational change and a clear pathway for the future on how residential buildings should be constructed and maintained.”
these include early client engagement, quality controlled manufacturing of components, BIM enabled 360-degree oversight of the project value chain and a design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) approach, that enhances efficiencies by using parts designed for ease of production and commonality with other designs.
Further secondary legislation will likely be needed to tidy up the legislation, and training for construction professionals will be necessary during the transition into a new regulatory landscape. However, in light of the Grenfell Tower disaster, the Bill is a game-changer that gives residents more power to hold builders and developers to account and toughens sanctions against those who threaten their safety. The Bill also highlights a raft of challenges and opportunities for offsite developers.
Offsetting these however, critical gaps in the understanding of offsite on the part of architects, safety specialists and other key players that could hamper its uptake as a ‘safe’ solution. Volumetric modular technology can sometimes be perceived as presenting special challenges because it’s a ‘closed system’ which can mean limited transparency in terms of provenance of parts.
Proponents of offsite are well versed in its advantages. When the methodology is optimally executed,
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As is the case with many offsite approaches, the gap between the quality and reliability created in the factory and how it translates on-site, can be an issue – particularly when these gaps in application or execution
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can derail some of that safety and quality. Implications for architects As the ‘originators’ of buildings, many architects are increasingly aware of the challenges and opportunities offered by volumetric modular. For some, the challenges perhaps loom larger, as they note the new complexities and responsibilities exerted by offsite construction, and in particular volumetric methods. A new compliance burden will need to be taken on by architects, along with other stakeholders in the supply chain, meaning new continuing professional development requirements. Certainly, in the context of volumetric modular, architects need more education, so that they can at least have more useful conversations with manufacturers. Nigel Ostime, Partner at Hawkins Brown, says it’s critical that when the elements of a building are produced by manufacturers, architects fully understand the process, but also
