Prefabuliciousness

April 14, 2014

published Architecture NZ http://architecturenow.co.nz/articles/prefabuliciousness/

Robots on the production line

Always one to enjoy the discoveries in meaning and cultural history found in words An interesting one ‘Pre fabrication’ the definition of ‘pre’ before and ‘fabrication’ the act or process of fabricating or manufacture. So then ‘pre fabrication’ the precursor to that which is built, which in my experience always equates, to the dream and a big idea. Think of Noah pre arc, he had a dream. At the recent Prefab NZ conference there were certainly plenty of dreams and big ideas.

Ideas about off site manufacture and industrial manufacture of buildings and elements there of and how they might add value to the NZ culture of building. Pamela Bell has with much aplomb, grace and tenacity, managed to mainstream the concept of offsite fabrication in NZ. She has managed to turn her masters degree thesis into a tool for focusing the industry, revitalizing a poorly packaged idea, creating sector collaboration and political buy in along the way. One could say she has nailed it, off site mostly. Ms Bell’s research driven entrepreneurial approach is in a way a new mode of practice where “building “ is not necessarily the only outcome of architectural investigation.

Pre fab NZ has arrived on the scene at a pivotal time in NZ construction. A perfect storm within the context of  a shifting landscape  of demand for housing in Auckland, the CHCH rebuild, a desperate need to up value primary resources, a demand for increased productivity and for more efficient and better ways of doing things alongside a lack of skills, changing demographics, sustainability agendas,  zero carbon initiatives, compact cities, leaky and EQ prone buildings, affordability, treaty settlements,  competitive markets and technological innovation its all on the table.

Tech innovators love to talk about disruption considered as an idea process or product that changes a market place to the extent all competitors need to pay attention and get with the program. Clay Christensen, a Harvard Business School professor, defined “disruption” as a product that addresses a market that previously couldn’t be served or offers a simpler, cheaper or more convenient alternative to an existing product. The iphone is the obvious example. I would contest prefab has the potential to be a well needed disruption in the building sector.

Another pop phrase from the tech sector, early adoption refers to the market leaders who have the foresight and bravery to embrace new ideas. Those who manage to integrate off site into their projects will be the winners. Its not a new idea just one that is given some traction based on the fulcrum the industry currently balances on. The work been done by Prefab NZ and its crew is a potential catalyst for an industry shift required to answer some of the challenges it currently faces. The innovators are already at the coal face.

Innovation and early adoption leads to mainstream adoption and on goes the cycle driven by research and development, experimentation, big ideas and competition . NZ inc. needs to do better in the R& D space especially regards the building industry.  It would be useful to tie the R&D innovation cycle to that of the Construction boom bust cycle which with the tide coming in, boom on the horizon Pre fab is one innovation with a the finger squarely on the go button. That button happens to be green also which is a great bonus.

There was some good ones at the event. 5468796 Architects illustrated how prefabrication has allowed them to carve a disruptive space in the mostly frozen Winnipeg landscape and that young people are at the pole position to lead.

“Architecture is not a luxury product” its agenda is enviro-social not bling.

Associate Primary Industries Minister Jo Goodhew showed off her own bling in the form of a personal secretary and an effectiveness in maintaining a cyclone of public appearances and words that were in the end only words with no actionable program or commitment from central government to use its buying power to disrupt the market the opportunity will be missed.

Conversely the following speaker Dr Hae Yeon Yoo’s presentation on modular social housing in Seoul South Korea made it explicitly apparent the government had put their money where their mouth was as the primary investor in the front end research and ultimate deployment of 80 000 units of prefabricated product to market.

God is in the data as the new detail and some of the data regards the construction sector to come out of David Chandlers presentation was certainly fuel to the already solid business case for the value of off site fabrication moving forward.

The Global construction sector is forecast to be worth  $15 trillion by 2025 13.2 % of Global GDP Meanwhile Australian Industry in 2012 $255 billion this year NZ should exceed $24 billion.

Mr Chandler presented the Australian construction industry similarly to NZ’s industry in need of a core shift and a need to adopt three core industry strategies that we could also perhaps learn from:

I. Reduce on-site workforce inputs by 30% by 2023

II. Reduce on-site construction durations by 50% by 2023, and

III. Turn around net construction imports of goods and services by 50% by 2023

In 2013 Australia’s Chief Scientist reported The construction industry  “” was challenged by the fact that 94% of Australia’s construction industry is comprised of businesses with 5 or fewer people, and that less than 1% of construction businesses in Australia conduct their own R&D”. He also said, “That by neglecting to conduct our own R&D, we not only reduce the chances we will discover new ideas and develop new innovations before our competitors, we also limit our abilities to accept and use those innovations that are developed elsewhere.” Sounds somewhat familiar .Meanwhile the comparison of the NZ boatbuilding industry and its reliance on factory built product formed a good backdrop for the innovation required in the construction sector generally. Tim Smyth from core builder composites presented a preview of the future in which the same digital fabrication and machines producing Americas Cup Yachts produce Composite building elements from bridges to entire houses  a sentiment reinforced by visiting MIt professor Mark Goulthorpe a longtime advocate of the digital revolution for whom the opportunity rests in the technological edge of polypropylene thermoplastic panels as a  recyclable unitary and monocoque building material, engineered and explicitly factory produced allowing the architect to move from their current  role of “selector and coordinator of ready mades” to idea and form generator via digital means.

Let the ideas people do what there best at the technical people get on with there work and together weave an elaborate story of factory produced awesomeness.

Check out the prefabNZ value case on line http://www.prefabnz.com/News/ValueCase/