Please turn your device to portrait.
Standardised design – a fast, efficient, cost effective and sustainable construction methodology with ample opportunity for creativity.
(Image above: SINSW Fern Bay example of Pavilion Kit of Parts – Standardised Design.)
Specialist Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) project management company, Sensum, write:
Firstly, let’s get clear. Standardised design is simply any building, system, model, series, or component created for repeated manufacture or duplication.
General perceptions of standardised design in construction can be that it limits creativity – however, history is full of examples of architects and project teams getting extremely creative with standardised design.
Take the brick – 230mm long x 110mm deep x 86mm high. While we don’t often think of it in this way, it is a perfect example of standardised design. Think of all the amazingly creative ways we have used the brick over the years!
What about LEGO kits? You have a whole set of similar elements, but with multiple different instruction options on what to create. A truck and low loader, A crane or a boat? The choice is yours. Essentially, it’s a kit of parts using standardised design elements that you get to be creative with!
Let’s bring this back to the topic at hand … construction. Standardised design enabling a kit of parts doesn’t mean replicating the same design for buildings and structures all over the country. What it does promote is moving to a new version of the brick – larger ‘pieces’ or elements that can be incorporated into designs.
Creating a ‘catalogue’ of pieces that can be best used together as a ‘kit of parts’. Architects are creative by default. Once they understand the constraints of what they’re working with, they have and will always do amazing things. Using a kit of parts or panelised approach provides a new set of building blocks (like the brick) to get creative with, whilst reducing cost, time, and effort.
What exactly is the kit of parts, and what are the benefits?
Kit-of-parts involves using pre-designed, pre-engineered, prefabricated building components (panelised or volumetric) that are then assembled on site in ways that make most sense for the intended use of the structure. Using this method is sustainable, allows flexibility in assembly, ensures efficiency with production streamlined to specific parts and less onsite disruption, and can be disassembled and reused.
The industry is doing amazing things
A great recent example we’ve seen of standardised design based on strong DfMA and MMC principles is School Infrastructure NSW’s development of the ‘Pavilion’ model. Building components are prefabricated offsite and assembled quickly onsite to build high quality, sustainable schools in months, rather than years.
The model was piloted at Fern Bay Public School, with a total construction time of 12 weeks, including just 6 weeks of on-site assembly.
Read more: www.schoolinfrastructure.nsw.gov.au/news/new-technology-building-quality-schools-faster
This standardised design approach has the potential to cut construction time by 30% and costs by 20%, whilst providing continued opportunities for creative new school designs!
Sensum’s Experience
Our team has delivered over 200 MMC projects including 134 MMC buildings across 129 Education projects. In addition to this, we’ve also delivered MMC Advisory projects where we support clients, project teams, contractors, and manufacturers to assess, enhance, innovate, and grow in the MMC delivery of their projects.
We are passionate about delivering and supporting environmentally sustainable design and construction, with considered application of modern methods of construction, contractors, consultants, and processes.
Want to know how standardised design could improve your next project? We’re the experts! Reach out and connect via in**@********om.au
See: www.sensum.com.au/why-we-love-mmc
See: schoolinfrastructure.nsw.gov.au/modern-construction-methods
