Modern methods of construction (MMC) have a “wonderful opportunity” to meet the UK housing shortage, deputy prime minister John Prescott told construction professionals at this week’s OFFSITE 2005 show.
Mr Prescott, keynote speaker at the event at BRE Watford, said MMC could cut construction costs and create communities “rather than housing estates”.
He said: “There’s a wonderful opportunity for offsite manufacture and other modern methods of construction to deliver better value for money and help tackle the shortage of traditional craft skills.”
Kevin Scobell, director of SmartLIFE, which co-hosted the four-day exhibition, said: “The prize [for MMC] is very big. It’s not just housing, there are schools needing construction worth billions of pounds.”
Westbury Partnerships’ Dr Ashley Lane highlighted communication, education and training as important areas for progressing MMC and said a culture change was needed within the construction industry supply chain.
BRE launched its Innovation Park during OFFSITE where full-scale demonstration houses trial emerging technologies. Irish timber frame builder Kingspan-Century Homes‘ three-bedroom £60,000 Synergy house was one of 11 exhibits.
Other timber sector com-panies exhibiting included Maple Timber Frame, Westbury’s Space4, Stewart Milne, Trus Joist, Germany-based WeberHaus, Pace Timber Systems, Pinewood Structures and structurally insulated panel systems manufacturers.
