Donaldson Timber Systems

When it comes to identifying lasting solutions that could help to end the housing crisis, it’s vital that innovation is placed at the heart of Scottish strategy.

Homes For Scotland (HFS) estimates that Scotland needs 25,000 new homes every year in order to keep up with housing demand, not including the 80,000 shortfall in the supply of housing since the crash in 2008.

A sharp increase in completions remains a real priority if Scotland is to meet its overall target of delivering 50,000 affordable homes by 2021.

With that in mind, the sustained lack of supply requires radical ideas and a real step change in thinking. Not only is it about meeting housing demand by producing homes quickly and at scale, it’s also about a meaningful response to heightened demand for ecologically responsible practices.

A more considered, forward-thinking approach is therefore required to transform and modernise how tomorrow’s homes are built.

Finding methods that combine speed, quality and efficiency in order to build affordable, high-quality and low carbon, efficient homes is a huge priority for Scotland.

Among the most viable solutions is the flagship three-year housing innovation project Advanced Industrialised Methods for the Construction of Homes (AIMCH) which aims to combat the UK housing crisis through a significant collaborative effort delivered by a number of industry leaders.

This project involves major private, public and academic partners and the goal is to transform how the construction industry builds homes. It is being managed by Limberger Associates, and includes Stewart Milne Group, Barratt Developments PLC, London Quadrant Housing Trust Ltd, the Manufacturing Technology Centre, the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre and Forster Roofing Services Ltd.

Through the increasingly popular methodology of offsite construction, digital working and lean site assembly, we collectively believe that the sustainable, highly integrated construction approach offered by AIMCH represents a strong alternative to traditional construction methods.

It’s about thinking differently and embracing fresh concepts that can be quickly scaled up in order to effectively respond to demand for homes, skills shortages in the building industry, and heightened environmental considerations.

Key among these concepts is offsite construction which emphasises sustainability. Indeed, its ability to significantly increase the speed at which a home’s structure can be created reduces wastage and risk in a significantly more efficient and cost-effective manner.

The Innovation-led consortium AIMCH is dedicated to a specific aim, however – of identifying and honing the industrialised offsite panelised methods that will help to meaningfully meet current and future housebuilding demands. These solutions are set to be trialled with the most successful being taken forward, commercialised, and then brought to market. That can only have a positive impact on the Scottish housing market’s shortage of supply.

With that in mind, data is currently being gathered from live construction sites in order to provide better insights, more informed decision-making, and to aid business cases for change and investment across the industry.

Indeed, a research report published by AIMCH – the project’s first output – examines construction productivity measurement and protocols. The aim is to establish a new, more effective way for businesses of all sizes to use data that demonstrates the value of MMC.

The research, carried out by the University of Dundee in association with Whole Life Consultants and managed by Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC), is thought to be one of the most comprehensive the industry has undertaken.

The report considers a total of 66 metrics across safety, productivity, quality, cost, time and material waste, all of which are in turn aligned to the published Smart Construction Dashboard.

It’s thought that aligning these metrics across the housing sector will enable small, medium and large supply chain businesses to demonstrate the value of smart construction and respond consistently to future demands.

Fundamentally, it means supporting the faster delivery of high-quality homes, more reliably and at the same cost as masonry-built homes.

Furthermore, we believe this enhanced understanding of the current measurement landscape now has the potential to deliver tangible benefits to the wider construction industry and other sectors such as transport and infrastructure.

Fresh research and development from the AIMCH project is planned over the next three years. The research will be trialled on live housing projects, with successful new methods then being commercialised and brought to market in volume.

Indeed, as part of the AIMCH project, DTS has been working on some advanced timber frame trials. On two of the plots pre-tiled roofs were assembled on the floor slabs on site – increasing health and safety as no-one was having to work from height.

The next stage will be to complete the commercial analysis of the trials to identify the product development ideas trialled which can be taken forward for construction’s future strategy.

AIMCH seeks to advance digitally integrated solutions in design standardisation, design for manufacture, supply chain integration, enhanced offsite panelised systems and lean construction processes. This data-led approach is expected to further streamline the process.

If we are to navigate Scotland’s housing shortage by successfully introducing lasting sustainable solutions, then innovation frameworks such as AIMCH must be considered among the country’s strongest strategies.

Stewart Dalgarno, Director of Product Development at Stewart Milne Group, discusses the future of construction.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced the construction industry to move ahead with innovative projects and products more quickly than previously estimated.  Those within the industry have realised a greater need for the wider adoption of innovative solutions in order to meet build targets. While several technologies were already established, it has now become a case of needing to accelerate their use in order to meet the demand set by a clearer focus on the housing industry.

The work being undertaken by the Advanced Industrialised Methods for the Construction of Homes (AIMCH) project underpins this.

Bringing together significant players within the sector to transform how homes are built, with the intention of combatting the UK housing crisis, it helps to deliver vital data for better decision-making whilst supporting change and investment within the industry to streamline the construction process.

Some of the trials Donaldson Timber Systems have been involved in through the project have seen houses built at a much more efficient speed compared to traditional bricks and mortar construction – one home was erected in just six hours.

Since the changes brought into play by coronavirus, it’s clear to see that many who have adopted new measures plan to stick with them; and that, more and more, executives are placing real value on data that will help drive productivity.

Looking ahead to the future, with the UK Government committing to building 300,000 homes per year, we expect to see a much greater uptake of modern methods of construction – like offsite manufacturing, which allows for homes to be built more efficiently, at a lower cost and at speed.

Not only are we trying to meet housing demand by producing more, and at scale, it’s also about a meaningful response to heightened demand for ecologically responsible practices – including the use of sustainable products with a low carbon footprint.

Smart construction methods, allowing for houses to be built without the need for scaffolding, thereby reducing the number of people required on site, will continue to grow in the coming months and years – especially important to note during times of social distancing.

The future will also bring with it a more entrenched sense of collaboration in industry, allowing for the standardisation of key housing components – whether it’s window sizes, doors, or walls.  Stewart Milne Group, together with L&Q and Barratt, are currently looking at this, with the aim of providing a level of standardisation similar to what we see already in the car industry. The next step will be to work with the supply chain to develop these and trial them in future homes.

Not only will this help to improve productivity and reliability, it can also be applied to any type of building – not just housing.

The pandemic has demonstrated how quickly social change can occur – and the power of the government in driving that change through initiatives like ‘Build, Build, Build’.

At Donaldson Timber Systems, we are lucky to be able to continue with the manufacturing of timber frames through our factory facility, which allows for safety measures like physical distancing to be put in place. With the pandemic presenting an ever-changing challenge, we are at least safe in the knowledge that housebuilding will no longer be adversely affected where these methods of construction are adopted.

Stewart Dalgarno,  Director of Product Development at Stewart Milne Group, discusses the future of construction.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced the construction industry to move ahead with innovative projects and products more quickly than previously estimated.  Those within the industry have realised a greater need for the wider adoption of innovative solutions in order to meet build targets. While several technologies were already established, it has now become a case of needing to accelerate their use in order to meet the demand set by a clearer focus on the housing industry.

The work being undertaken by the Advanced Industrialised Methods for the Construction of Homes (AIMCH) project underpins this.

Bringing together significant players within the sector to transform how homes are built, with the intention of combatting the UK housing crisis, it helps to deliver vital data for better decision-making whilst supporting change and investment within the industry to streamline the construction process.

Some of the trials Donaldson Timber Systems have been involved in through the project have seen houses built at a much more efficient speed compared to traditional bricks and mortar construction – one home was erected in just six hours.

Since the changes brought into play by coronavirus, it’s clear to see that many who have adopted new measures plan to stick with them; and that, more and more, executives are placing real value on data that will help drive productivity.

Looking ahead to the future, with the UK Government committing to building 300,000 homes per year, we expect to see a much greater uptake of modern methods of construction – like offsite manufacturing, which allows for homes to be built more efficiently, at a lower cost and at speed.

Not only are we trying to meet housing demand by producing more, and at scale, it’s also about a meaningful response to heightened demand for ecologically responsible practices – including the use of sustainable products with a low carbon footprint.

Smart construction methods, allowing for houses to be built without the need for scaffolding, thereby reducing the number of people required on site, will continue to grow in the coming months and years – especially important to note during times of social distancing.

The future will also bring with it a more entrenched sense of collaboration in industry, allowing for the standardisation of key housing components – whether it’s window sizes, doors, or walls.  Stewart Milne Group, together with L&Q and Barratt, are currently looking at this, with the aim of providing a level of standardisation similar to what we see already in the car industry. The next step will be to work with the supply chain to develop these and trial them in future homes.

Not only will this help to improve productivity and reliability, it can also be applied to any type of building – not just housing.

The pandemic has demonstrated how quickly social change can occur – and the power of the government in driving that change through initiatives like ‘Build, Build, Build’.

At Donaldson Timber Systems, we are lucky to be able to continue with the manufacturing of timber frames through our factory facility, which allows for safety measures like physical distancing to be put in place. With the pandemic presenting an ever-changing challenge, we are at least safe in the knowledge that housebuilding will no longer be adversely affected where these methods of construction are adopted.

With UK housing availability adversely affecting millions, and the economy sinking into recession as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, we must adapt and evolve quickly to meet housebuilding demand, and to ensure we can align with the Government’s net-zero 2050 goals.

It’s been a challenging year for many, but one positive that Coronavirus has brought is an understanding of the need for wider adoption of industry solutions. While several technologies were already established, it was a case of needing to accelerate their use in order to meet the demand now set by a clearer focus on the housing industry.

The work being undertaken by the Advanced Industrialised Methods for the Construction of Homes (AIMCH) project underpins this.

The flagship three-year AIMCH housing innovation project was established in 2019, bringing together significant players within the sector to transform how homes are built with the intention of combatting the UK housing crisis.

The project helps to deliver vital data for better decision-making, whilst supporting change and investment within the industry to streamline the construction process. Since the changes brought into play by Coronavirus, it’s clear to see that many who have adopted new measures plan to stick with them; and that, more and more, executives are placing real value on data that will help drive productivity.

The housing shortage is a real problem. The Government committed to building 300,000 homes per year, and this simply can’t be done using traditional construction methods alone – heightening the need for industry to collaborate, and for MMC to be embraced.

Speed, quality and efficiency are all challenges faced by the sector. Not only are we trying to meet housing demand by producing more, and at scale, it’s also about a meaningful response to heightened demand for ecologically responsible practices – such as digital working, lean site assembly, using sustainable products and offsite construction.

Whilst offsite construction is becoming more popular thanks to a combination of factors – from environmental considerations to skills shortages in the industry and, of course, the heightened demand for homes – adaptations to on site methods cannot be ignored.

Stewart Milne Group has been working alongside Barratt and other AIMCH partners to trial new, smart construction methods on the Pewterspear site near Warrington.

We worked on developing MMC panelised prototyping – closed panel systems with pre-fitted windows and pre-finished floors. These plots could be erected without the need for scaffolding, and pre-tiled roofs assembled on site at ground level, in a bid to increase health and safety by eliminating the need to work from height and reducing the number of workers required on site – particularly important in times of social distancing.

They could also be delivered at speed – with one home on this site being erected in just six hours. The project generated plenty of attention, with the Prime Minister even paying a visit to the site just weeks after the announcement of his housing strategy.

A commercial analysis is set to be completed with the wider AIMCH team to help identify product development ideas that can be taken forward for our future strategy in construction. Research such as this will be trialled on live housing projects throughout the next three years, with the aim being to commercialise successful new methods, bringing them to market in volume.

Stewart Milne Group, together with L&Q and Barratt, are also looking into the standardisation of home fittings and fixtures – walls, windows, and doors. The aim is to be able to provide the level of standardisation that can be witnessed in the car industry, and the next step will be to work with the supply chain to develop these and trial them in future homes.

Not only will this help to improve productivity and reliability, and help with both quality management and material scheduling, it can be applied to any type of building – not just housing; and we are in the process of establishing an industry guide to encourage a move towards BIM (Building Information Modelling).

The pandemic has demonstrated how quickly social change can occur – and the power of the government in driving that change. These are strong conditions for Government to reinforce the climate-positive behaviours that have emerged during lockdown throughout industry. The ‘Build, Build, Build’ directive is a positive first step.

As we work towards achieving net zero by 2050, it is vital the entire industry and government operate  in partnership to bring together developments in skills, procurement, design, products and materials; as well as ensuring that the steps taken in the years ahead deliver the quality and performance necessary for whole-life low carbon buildings.

We are delighted to announce that Stewart Milne Timber Systems are the winners of the Housebuilder HBF 2020 Product Award for ‘Best Building Fabric Product’ with our Sigma® II Build System.

Our Sigma® II Build System is a cost effective, closed panel, fabric first solution that delivers an affordable, reliable, simple to install Build System, promoting a ‘Fit and Forget’ approach to the building’s fabric. The system considers whole life cycle costing, embodied carbon, technical compliance and longevity over a 60-year design life, underpinned by BBA Product Approval and Lloyds BOPAS Accreditation.

Sigma® II is growing in demand, and accounts for 1.5% of market potential, supplying around 1,000 homes annually. Our factories have capacity to manufacture 3,000 units per annum; investment will increase capacity to 10,000 homes in 5 years. The Sigma® II Build System delivers sustainability whilst being cost-effective.

We are very proud to win this award. In addition, the winner from each category will be a finalist at the Housebuilder Awards 2020, originally planned to be held at the Intercontinental London at the O2 in October. We’re looking forward to the results!