Built and Wesfarmers back factory-built apartments in WA

Australia’s offsite sector has seen no shortage of announcements over the past decade. What has been less consistent is scale, continuity of pipeline, and alignment between design, manufacturing and delivery. Built Group’s joint venture with Wesfarmers, forming Built Living, enters that context with a different proposition: a vertically integrated model designed to operate as both product creator and delivery platform. (main image: Built Living’s proposed precast manufacturing facility at Neerabup in Western Australia.)

The announcement is supported by the Western Australian Government, which has committed $48 million towards advanced manufacturing capability. WA Minister for Manufacturing Amber-Jade Sanderson framed the move in economic and delivery terms, pointing to faster builds, lower costs and increased apartment output, alongside local job creation and supply chain diversification.

For Built Living’s Chief Executive Officer Dale Connor, speaking exclusively to Built Offsite, the starting point is not the factory itself, but the conditions that have constrained housing delivery.

“There are two parts to it,” Connor said. “At the highest level, it’s housing affordability and supply. But when you look deeper, the issue comes back to construction productivity.”

He points to a widening gap between development feasibility and delivery reality. Projects take longer, cost more, and in many cases do not proceed. “The relationship between revenue and cost is such that a lot of development can’t be unlocked,” he said. “What we’re aiming to address is that fundamental equation of time and cost.”

A product-led model, not a factory-led one
Connor is explicit about where earlier offsite attempts in Australia have struggled. In his view, the issue is less about technology and more about operating model.

“You could build a factory and wait for orders,” Connor said. “We don’t see that as viable. What we’ve seen internationally is that success comes from having an end-to-end model.”

Built Living is structured to operate across development, construction and manufacturing, rather than as a standalone supplier. That approach is intended to provide control over both pipeline and product.

“It’s about turning up with a total solution, not just as a builder,” Connor said.

The joint venture with Wesfarmers is central to that positioning. Beyond capital, Connor highlights supply chain capability and logistics as areas of alignment. The ability to draw on established procurement networks and distribution systems is expected to support the transition from project-based delivery to a more repeatable manufacturing approach.

Precast at scale, with DfMA layering in
The Neerabup facility in Western Australia is designed to produce more than 2,000 apartments per year. At launch, the system will focus on two-dimensional precast concrete elements.

“Floor slabs, wall panels, core elements and façade systems,” Connor said. “The façade is important — finishes and glazing are applied in the factory.”

The assembly logic is sequential. Structural and external elements are installed floor by floor, reducing reliance on traditional site-based processes such as formwork, scaffolding and extended trade sequencing.

While the initial focus is precast, the model is not limited to structure alone. Connor indicated that further DfMA elements will be incorporated over time.

“We’ll be exploring bathrooms, kitchens and services,” Connor said. “The aim is to bring as much completion offsite as possible.”

He draws a distinction between this approach and full volumetric modular construction. “It’s less about delivering a complete apartment on the back of a truck,” Connor said. “It’s about a precast system that moves quickly through structure and façade, with additional elements integrated where they add value.”

Digital model drives the building, not the reverse
A defining aspect of the Built Living approach is the role of digital modelling. Connor describes it as foundational rather than supplementary.

“It’s about one source of truth,” Connor said. “The manufacturing system informs the building model, not the other way around.”

This reverses a common pattern in traditional projects, where designs are developed independently and later adapted for construction or fabrication. In a manufacturing-led model, the product defines the design parameters from the outset.

“That allows us to engage earlier,” Connor said. “We can test a site, optimise massing and respond quickly with a solution that aligns with the system.”

Cost and time, not material alone

The joint venture references international benchmarks of up to 20 per cent cost reduction and delivery programmes up to 50 per cent faster. Connor attributes these outcomes to a combination of factors rather than a single intervention.

“Time saving results in cost saving,” Connor said. “Offsite production reduces labour on site, reduces exposure to weather, and reduces the need for temporary works.”

The shift from in-situ construction to factory-based production also changes workforce dynamics. Fewer trades are required on site, and activities are consolidated into controlled manufacturing environments.

Design phase remains the pressure point
For Connor, the most significant shift required sits in the design phase. He points to the need for earlier alignment between consultants and the manufacturing system.

“Our product needs to inform the building early,” Connor said. “If design starts independently, you lose the benefit.”

That position reflects a broader industry challenge. Architectural and engineering workflows remain largely project-specific, while manufacturing relies on repeatability and standardisation. Built Living’s model attempts to bridge that gap by bringing consultants into the system at the outset.

Pipeline, diversification and national rollout
The viability of the Neerabup facility is underpinned by a combination of government support and private sector pipeline. A portion of capacity is expected to support public housing and social infrastructure, with additional volume from private development.

Connor also points to diversification beyond residential.

“We see opportunities in hospitals, prisons and other civic projects,” Connor said. “Precast offsite manufacturing is already playing a role in those sectors internationally.”

While Western Australia is the initial base, the intention is to expand nationally. Discussions are already underway in New South Wales and Queensland.

What changes on site
Asked what success would look like in practice, Connor’s answer is framed in operational terms rather than strategy.

“Predictability, precision, quality and speed,” Connor said. “You would see a more productive approach to construction, with shorter delivery times and more consistent outcomes.”

The ambition is not simply to introduce offsite methods, but to align design, manufacturing and pipeline into a single operating model capable of sustained output at scale.

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