Over the past decade, just about everyone in the offsite construction industry has been shouting the praises of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and honestly, it’s about time!
The one thing I find a little strange is when someone tells me we should build houses like we do automobiles. Simply put the raw materials and components in the auto factory’s front door and get a finished car at the back door. “If we built houses like we build cars, we could solve the housing problem quickly.”
Maybe someday we will get closer to building houses like we do cars but that will be a long way into the future.
MMC is certainly like the auto industry in one way though, we are presently building houses in a factory just like cars were built over 100 hundred years ago. Maybe we should change MMC to MMaC (Modern Methods are Coming!)
Today’s offsite construction and the early days of the automobile can be compared in several ways. While they belong to different industries, they share similarities in terms of technological advancements, changing societal perspectives, and their impact on the respective fields.
Both offsite construction and the early days of the automobile witnessed significant technological advancements that revolutionized their industries. In the early days of automobiles, innovations like the internal combustion engine, mass production techniques, and assembly line manufacturing brought about a fundamental shift in how cars were built. Similarly, offsite construction has seen advancements in computer-aided design (CAD), building information modeling (BIM), prefabrication techniques, and modular construction, enabling faster and more efficient construction processes.
The advent of automobiles and offsite construction marked a change in societal perspectives and lifestyles. In the early days of the automobile, owning a car was initially a luxury reserved for the wealthy. However, as production methods improved and costs reduced, automobiles became more accessible to the general population, leading to increased mobility and transforming transportation patterns. Similarly, offsite construction is now challenging traditional construction methods by offering faster project completion, reduced waste, and enhanced quality control. It is gradually gaining recognition as a viable alternative to conventional construction, addressing housing shortages and offering sustainable solutions.
The early days of the automobile were characterized by a shift toward industrialization and large-scale production. The advent of assembly line manufacturing in the automobile industry allowed for standardized production, resulting in higher efficiency and lower costs. Similarly, offsite construction employs factory-like settings, where building components are manufactured in a controlled environment and then transported to the construction site for assembly. This approach streamlines the construction process, enhances quality control, and enables economies of scale. Our industry currently looks more like Henry Ford’s first production than it does compared to today’s auto factory production line.
Many people have told me that automated and robotics factories are the wave of the future. Maybe they are but no matter how hard those robotic and automated assemblies try, once the six-sided module is assembled, the rest of the work is mostly human skilled and unskilled labor.
In their early stages, both offsite construction and automobiles faced skepticism and resistance. Skepticism towards automobiles stemmed from concerns about safety, reliability, and the impact on existing transportation systems. Similarly, offsite construction initially faced skepticism due to concerns about quality, design flexibility, and the perception that it was a temporary or low-quality solution. However, as technology advances and the benefits became more apparent, MMC will gain wider acceptance and increased adoption.
The introduction of automobiles disrupted existing transportation systems, such as horse-drawn carriages and railways, leading to significant societal changes. Similarly, offsite construction has the potential to disrupt traditional construction practices by challenging the status quo and offering more efficient and cost-effective solutions. The shift towards offsite construction can result in shorter project timelines, reduced labor requirements, improved safety, and increased sustainability.
While offsite construction and the early days of the automobile are distinct in their fields, they share parallels in terms of technological advancements, societal shifts, and market disruption. Both have transformed their industries by introducing innovative approaches, changing perceptions, and offering new possibilities for efficiency and progress.
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Gary Fleisher, the Modcoach, author
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