What does Modern Methods of Construction mean?
Modern Methods of Construction is also known as MMC. This is a term used to describe a range of processes and techniques used for building new homes (or home extensions) that differ from ‘traditional’ building techniques. Typically, MMC would offer shorter build times, environmental benefits, and a decrease in labour costs on-site.
Key features of Modern Methods of Construction include:
- Pre-fabrication of all or part of a building offsite in factory conditions.
- Innovative on-site techniques that remove or speed up traditional building methods.
The pre-fabrication aspect of Modern Methods of Construction might involve homes or extensions being built off-site as ‘pods’ or kits. These are built and fitted out with key features such as windows and doors in factories. They are then transported and assembled on site. MMC pods may also include larger fittings such as kitchens and/or bathrooms.
The on-site techniques used in Modern Methods of Construction might also include systems for creating bases/foundations and walls. These would be much faster than when using traditional building techniques. This allows for a faster build, both of the base and the structure above.
How did Modern Methods of Construction begin?
Since the beginning of the 20th Century, there have been various times when the UK has been faced with a housing shortage/crisis. The earliest example of this was in the post-war period. In 2017 the Government identified another housing crisis and an urgent need for additional housing stock. In each instance over the years, Modern Methods of Construction products and techniques have been developed and used to meet the housing shortage.
Modern Methods of Construction techniques mean that new housing can be created much faster than when using traditional building methods. Today, many housing developers are investing in Modern Methods of Construction. This is because they can see the benefits that this will bring to their business in terms of efficiencies, output and profit. There are also benefits of Modern Methods of Construction to consumers. The main benefit is that their home or home extension can be built much quicker. The second main benefit is the energy efficiency of a home or extension built using Modern Methods of Construction.
Factors behind the uptake of Modern Methods of Construction
Aside from how MMC can greatly decrease the time it takes to build new homes and extensions, there are other benefits too. More and more home builders/improvers are recognising these benefits and using MMC more frequently.
These factors include:
- The build quality is improved because it is done in factory conditions. This means there are fewer variables that could affect the quality, eg weather.
- Increased productivity. Modern Methods of Construction can greatly improve productivity. This is due to the highly controlled nature of the build process. The early stages of MMC are not at the mercy of the weather and the later assembly stages are faster than traditional building techniques. This is because of the high levels of technology within the pre-fabricated components such as that within the hup! system.
- Modern Methods of Construction help to address the skills shortage in the construction industry. This is because the skilled labour needed for traditional building methods is at an all-time low. The building sector is having to work hard to attract young people to learn these skills. Building a home in a factory using MMC requires a considerably lower skill set. For this reason, MMC may play a key role in addressing this issue going forwards. It is also an opinion that young people may be more drawn to learning Modern Methods of Construction as it is seen as the future of building.
Modern Methods of Construction and housebuilders
With so many benefits, it’s no wonder that many housebuilders are adopting MMC. Barratt is the UK’s largest housebuilder and has set a target that at least 20% of its new homes should be built using MMC.
Extending your home with Modern Methods of Construction
So, how does this impact on forward-thinking homeowners, who want to extend their homes using Modern Methods of Construction?
Homeowners have already been extending their homes with MMC techniques for longer than they think. If you think about a conservatory, this is an early example of Modern Methods of Construction. Conservatories allow homeowners to extend their home in a way that is relatively fast and affordable, compared to a brick-built extension. The conservatory is manufactured and pre-built off-site. It is then brought to the site for installation. This is a form of MMC and one that is still popular today.
However, as techniques and trends move on, there are now new products and techniques which use Modern Methods of Construction to create home extensions. These products and techniques ensure that extending your home can now be done faster and more efficiently than ever before.
One of the most popular products to do this are pre-fabricated solid roof systems. Based on conservatory technology, solid roofs use the core Modern Methods of Construction principle of off-site fabrication. They are a fantastic way to quickly create a modern home extension. Solid roofs can be used for the roof on home extensions of any shape or size. They can also be used to transform old conservatories into thermally efficient new extensions.
Traditional truss roofs need to be built by skilled builders, but they can do so in a much quicker timeframe than it would take to build a timber and slate extension roof. All key components are prefabricated and cut to size. This means that these new solid roof systems can be built and watertight in just one day. This build speed is possible thanks to the Modern Methods of Construction used to create and build the roofs.
Modern Methods of Construction – a summary
Modern Methods of Construction have been used over the years to meet the urgent demand for housing stock. Many housebuilders and home improvers are now seeing the benefits that Modern Methods of Construction can offer long term. Modern Methods of Construction offer huge benefits for those wanting to extend their home quickly and with minimum mess. They also mean that new home extensions are very thermally efficient.
The materials and techniques used in Modern Methods of Construction are constantly being developed. This has seen a rise in house building and home extending which can be done faster, more efficiently and with increased benefits such as thermal performance.
As technology in extending your home and building new homes advances, Modern Methods of Construction will play an ever more important role.
hup! is the revolutionary new way to extend your home, using unique Ultrapanel technology for the walls and roof, hup! makes it possible to extend your home quickly, in a hassle-free way and creates a beautifully, warm bright living spaces.
