The compact shape is predicted to reduce the absolute quantity of materials whilst timber is a material with low embodied carbon which can be ultra-low depending on its end-of-life treatment..

Our DfMA journey.We began to use the term ‘Platforms’ (P-DfMA) while working with the UK Government Ministry of Justice (MOJ), the Infrastructure Projects Authority (IPA) and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC).

It was the MTC that first introduced us to the concept of Platforms.The MOJ wanted to design a new type of prison focused on rehabilitation.We realised that the manufacturing component of the construction process could be taught to serving prisoners, helping to train them in marketable skills for use on release, and aiding rehabilitation.

We also realised that the sort of P-DfMA systems we were designing for the MOJ could then be transferred across to other government infrastructure projects, thereby facilitating the wider adoption of these beneficial, lean construction processes.. Bryden Wood published the first book on platform design in 2017 (.new updated edition of Platforms book available to download here. )

and we have continued to expand on and optimise Platforms and other MMC methodologies in our work with both public and private sector clients.

We’ve never sought to patent our work and we have open sourced the code for both of our construction design apps - SEISMIC and PRISM.This capability would be enormously powerful for Platforms, helping clients and designers see the effect of decisions in real time, in terms of cost but also potentially carbon, social and other value criteria..

The configurator is a piece of software developed to leverage standard components made by the original manufacturer; for construction Platforms it is entirely possible that a range of configurators will be needed, albeit built on some common, open protocols and using common components.Repeat clients may want to create their own configurators linked to their internal business processes, for instance, but the ‘Spatial Analysis’ work could help create a common ‘operating system’ for construction.

Brick Link hosts thousands of third parties from which one can select by region, rating, price etc.In a Platform context this would mean selecting the most local supplier, or one that best aligns to your choice of value driver.