Modular construction: Flat-pack to the future

Construction is one of the most fundamental engineering sectors of all. Ever since humanity emerged from caves, we’ve been building shelters. And the way that we’ve done it is remarkably unchanged. The building materials – whether wood and straw, mud, bricks, stone, or steel and glass – are transported to the site where the building will stand and assembled by specialised professionals into a custom-designed form.

The next stage was established from the time we first had cities with a service infrastructure, so 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. Specialised tradespeople come onto the site and take over from the builders, connecting to services (in the case of plumbers and, more recently, electricians) and applying specialised finishes such as plastering and decoration. Times change, but a Roman builder or engineer would certainly recognise a building site in London today.

But that might be changing. The construction sector around the world, but particularly in Europe and most notably in the UK, is bedevilled by poor productivity and quality issues. One way to get around this, which is becoming increasingly important in a variety of construction sectors, is a shift to modular construction.