What About Modern Methods of Construction?

In the last 10 years and particularly in the last 5 years MMC has seen a real step change with the offsite construction market experiencing a boom. According to Glenigan, around 9% of newbuild projects starting in 2017 employed MMC in some way, this rose to 17% by late 2022. MMC will continue to grow and is a serious mainstream option for clients. We believe it will prove a particularly powerful asset in addressing the ever-growing affordable housing shortage in the UK if adopted and implemented correctly.

At BMR we have always positioned ourselves well to gain the knowledge and experience necessary to grow with the expanding MMC industry share. We have been partnering with MMC companies since our incorporation in 2013. One of our very earliest projects in 2014 was a full modular community centre for Swale council and since then 58% of our projects have been of modular, CLT or panelised frame construction under design and build contracts. From our experience we can categorically state that the success of MMC projects and the method as a whole is highly dependent on a joined-up approach between ourselves as lead project designers and our MMC manufacturing partners from RIBA stage 2 onwards.

During 2023 significant doors have opened for us to partner with Goscombe, a profit-with-purpose company committed to changing the affordable housing landscape in the UK. We share the same desire to use our companies together to deliver genuinely affordable and social housing to meet the needs of our local area and beyond. This relationship has flourished as we have worked through project feasibilities on multiple sites and in 2024 we will deliver our first partnered projects. We have found Goscombe to be a unique company and partner, they are one of a few MMC companies with no debt, work in their factory and the ability to bring financing models to the table for their clients.

Please contact with us today if you would like to discuss your own project or development feasibility for the use of MMC. Please also speak with us if you have land and would like to undertake a full development appraisal, particularly if you are a housing association or provider of social housing.