Andrew Carpenter, Chief Executive of the Structural Timber Association, believes MMC can help meet government housebuilding targets.
The three year research conducted by the NHBC Foundation into current industry attitudes towards modern methods of construction (MMC), clearly demonstrates the desire for innovation within the housebuilding sector.
Showcased in a recently published report entitled, Modern methods of construction: views from the industry, MMC are key to driving the housebuilding sector forward. Enabling more homes to be built quicker, reducing costs and providing a solution to on-going skills shortage, it will become essential to meeting the demand for housing within the UK.
The benefits of the alternative methods are already recognised by large and medium-sized house builders, and housing associations, as only two companies surveyed stated that they had not used, or considered, at least one form of MMC in the last three years.
Providing the time and cost savings benefits of a MMC, as well as being a truly sustainable energy efficient building material, structural timber offers housebuilders a multitude of benefits.
Increasing in popularity across the construction sector as a whole, structural timber frame is now used in 27.4% of new build homes across the UK, up from 24.8% last year, representing a 10% proportional market share growth in just one year.
The NHBC Foundation report further demonstrated this continuing trend as panelised building systems, including timber systems such as structural insulated panel systems (SIPS), are the second most used MMC type.
As cost effective, time efficient methods of producing more, better quality properties, modern methods of construction are key to ensuring the UK’s housebuilders can meet, and potentially exceed, the Government’s housing requirement targets.
