Pioneer the DfMA Market

There are a handful of organisations that are attempting to innovate in the world of DfMA and use it as a means of progressing the construction industry. Some notable names include Bryden Wood and Laing O’Rourke as they both have internal innovation teams striving to continually reduce risk, time and costs for the builder.

“The off-site revolution has been discussed for many years, with only marginal increases in adoption. However, the conditions seem right for a fundamental shift in the industry” (Bryden Wood, 2018).

There are also ways in which emerging, disruptive, technologies can also improve the DfMA approach to construction. ‘The Epoch of Data’ (Hossain, 2019) is the perfect era for DfMA as BIG data sets, computational optimisation and rationalisation of modular components will further increase the efficiency of off-site, manufactured construction. 3D printing and robotics will also play a major role in the future of DfMA.

An example of how a data driven, optimised manufacture process can greatly increase the value of the architect, that manipulates the programme, is cost reduction. Specifically, in relation to how a contractor may value engineer projects to keep costs low. Bryden Wood (2017) explore this idea, stating that “value engineering strategies are in fact exercises in reducing specification or compromising the design vision” (Bryden Wood, 2017). They suggest that the procurement of buildings requires an informed strategy to truly understand value of optimised design solutions that maximise functionality, for the least cost (Bryden Wood, 2017). This is where harnessing the correct data sets can set the Architect apart with regards to quality and cost control. Data driven quality checking is another application showing the culmination of data and manufacture. Data collected from a site may be checked against a BIM model to determine the accuracy and whether the tolerance level has met the requirements outlined in the DfMA process. (Bryden Wood, 2017). But ultimately the overwhelming performance factor of data driven manufacture are its high-level efficiencies.

The closer the Architect can move towards a highly optimised building proposal through DfMA solutions and manufactured components, the greater the professions importance in a new revolution of Architectural practice.

You have found an area of expertise that offers the potential of true empowerment for the future Architect. The new role should be maximising efficiencies in the construction process, supported by computational optimisation and standardisation of components to provide high-level design solutions that are influential on a macro-scale across the construction industry. You are at the forefront of generating the next construction framework that the future Architect works within.

The master builder has regained its title.

[Fig.17] DfMA Empowerment

Return to previoius decision points below to see the alternative routes for Architectural Empowerment.