UCL Discovery

Abstract

UK Government and construction industry advisors are becoming ever more interested in increasing the use of offsite modern methods of construction (MMC) within the private housing sector as a solution to current quality and efficiency problems. However, industry uptake remains below that of many countries with comparable economies, with UK housebuilders seemingly reluctant to invest in innovative building technologies. The Japanese private housing sector, on the other hand, paints a very different story, with prefabricated housing manufacturers dominating a significant proportion of the housing market. After an introduction to the key themes, this report will explore the drivers for offsite fabrication in the Japanese housing market, paying particular attention to building cycles and prevailing development systems, the cultural preference for new-build houses, attitudes towards land ownership and the demand for customised dwellings. Next, the report will investigate the major drivers for innovation in the UK housebuilding industry, focusing on Government reports and initiatives that promote offsite MMC, perceived advantages and barriers for greater uptake within the construction industry, and strategies used by the housebuilding industry to minimise market and site-specific risk in the emerging market environment. The final chapter will discuss the applicability of the Japanese model of prefabricated housing manufacture in the UK context, highlighting some possible crossover benefits and making some suggestions as to how these can be realised.

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