Lauren Arthur, Solutions Manager at Saint-Gobain off-Site Solutions discusses the workforce and efficiency dilemma. can we bridge the gap with offsite construction?
Skills shortages, planning difficulties and competition are among a raft of challenges smaller and regional housebuilders and developers currently face in the sector.
Modern methods of construction (MMC) have the power to solve some of these issues if they provide support around new regulations, supply chain and logistics, funding and training.
To achieve this, our sector must innovate new offsite housebuilding solutions that are tailored to companies’ specific needs.
Unlocking the full potential of small and regional housebuilders and developers with a lasting, long-term solution is vital to meet the UK government’s target of 1.5 million new homes and overcome the need for 50,300 additional construction workersÅ annually to meet construction output.
MMC designed around housebuilders
To deliver a targeted solution for this part of the sector that streamlines procurement and logistics and prevents delays and administrative hold-ups, Saint-Gobain has developed EnveoVent. The fully insulated and ventilated structural through-the-wall system is delivered in ‘plot packs’ containing premanufactured panels, internal and external finishes, and fixtures and fittings to optimise delivery programmes. This reduces build times, cuts costs, and brings significant commercial benefits.
Instead of procuring different materials from several sources, it delivers one purchase, one contract, and, crucially, one warranty – all through one point of contact. Following the Building Safety Act 2022, the construction sector is expected to offer complete information about the fully certified products used within a building or system. A golden thread of data has never been more important, including full details on the individual products contained within a solution, information on fire, thermal and acoustic testing, and accreditations.
At the time of writing, the announcement on the Future Homes Standard is imminent. This will call for warmer, more thermally efficient homes that slash carbon emissions by 75-80% and have a U-value of 0.18 W/mÇK. EnveoVent’s U-value of 0.16 to 0.13 W/mÇK, depending on wall thickness, delivers superior thermal performance, lower energy bills, less energy consumption and better homes.
A faster, safer build
Offsite construction offers a significant efficiency advantage. With EnveoVent, homes can reach a weatherproof shell in as little as six days – a significant reduction on 12-16 weeks for traditional masonry construction.
A shorter time to market and more stable building programmes means offsite solutions can also reduce plant costs, deliver an earlier return on spend and shorten borrowing periods.
Using an MMC category 2 panellised system such as EnveoVent also brings significant on site safety benefits, mitigating many of the risks caused by working at height for long periods. It increases the amount of work done at ground level and reduces the number of trades working in one location at the same time.
Jumping other hurdles
Alongside the Planning and Infrastructure Bill now introduced to Parliament, recent planning reform announcements from government planning reforms include a target to recruit 300-plus local planners by end-2026 and revamps to local frameworks to get new housebuilding moving.
Although this should enable more housebuilding, there remains the question of who will build the additional homes. Offsite presents a solution. With theright training and recruitment, the benefits of speed and efficiency really reach home. Saint-Gobain includes detailed training, best practice videos and instructions to support housebuilders and developers in upskilling.
Using offsite solutions, a single gang of four or five can erect the structure from the ground up, craning panels into place alongside floors and roofs. These cut the number of skilled trades on-site while building more homes.
The recent EnveoVent pilot project in Birmingham brought Saint-Gobain, TR Partnership Homes (TRP) and Midland Heart housing association together to deliver a development of 12 homes. TRP, whose workforce was primarily experienced in masonry, received targeted training to implement the offsite solution.
Steve Thompson, TR Partnership Homes director, commented: “In construction we need to change our approach to building if we are to meet future demand. We now think completely differently about offsite having seen it in action – it’s changed the way we view projects. Quality control can be tighter and the level of waste on site has more than halved. The increased energy efficiency of the wall means it more readily meets Future Homes Standard targets and wider sustainability goals.”
Long-term partnerships are key to building delivery pipelines and skilled workforces, promoting continued on-the-job training to expand capabilities. With repeat delivery, the considerable economies of scale with offsite really start to materialise.
With viable solutions available for small and regional housebuilders and developers, increased build speed, improved safety, energy efficiency and scalability means MMC can really help the UK build the homes needed to tackle the housing crisis and meet government targets.
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