We have all been there, managing pressures from clients on time and budget, finding quick, reliable, and cost-effective solutions. The solution that we have found is quite simple, modular builds, and to top it off, they are sustainable and support the UK’s Net Zero target by 2050.
Modular has been in use within the UK for some time, with many large-scale residential projects, for example, frequently using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) for kitchens, bathrooms, and unitised facades. It has very much been part of the design process, providing benefits such as, improved health and safety of the workforce, high quality construction standards and reducing site programme.
In healthcare, we see modular construction increasingly gaining favour. As a Cost Management business and leading experts in healthcare, Tim Molden summarises MESH’s own experience and what he believes to have worked together with architect and Director, Tim Ashton, Hunters, Architecture and Building Consultancy.
- Meets the “Modern Methods of Construction” requirement for the majority of NHS funding whilst also supporting the NHS’s Net Zero objectives.
As Christy Hayes discussed in his recent article for Building, modular evidently contributes to the reduction of carbon.
- Speeds up procurement of a main contractor using a favourable D&B contract, using NHS approved national frameworks of contractors. Modular buildings can be completed 30%-50% quicker than traditional construction methods.
- Reduces the on-site construction programme with minimal impact made to the client’s business. With 80% of the construction delivered off-site within factory settings, it is easier for clients to continue business as usual.
In a world where sign off can often be a challenging journey, the concept of buying a solution that is built and ready to use has some appeal. It’s a bit like buying a car. Would you wait 12 months for the exact specification or buy one which has the same specification and is available for collection within half the time?
Modular has some inherent structural implications which need to be considered at an early stage for a successful project. Designing a well-considered building is certainly possible if these constraints are worked with. The design of mechanical building services around optimised structural solutions is a particular challenge. Having a knowledgeable design team appointed early is immensely beneficial.
MMC is a design obligation to be addressed, no different from other design constraints, such as budget, site specifics and of course the client’s functional content.
Challenges come when the ‘pre order car’ is trying to be adapted to align with expectations locally, understanding planning pressure is an early consideration, along with the logistics of delivery, albeit to date, this hasn’t been a problem.
The link from new to existing needs to not form a critical driver so a simple solution is best.
The architect’s challenge is to make sure the design works and at Hunters, this is done by working with the whole building team from the start, ensuring any issues are resolved and the space and aesthetics aren’t compromised. Using this method has helped work closely with trusts delivering a range of building uses from outpatient clinics to highly serviced specialist care facilities.
Fire certification is a challenge across the industry and clients will wish to appoint modular manufacturers who have robust certification in place for their building systems.
It is also worth noting, at MESH we have not been commissioned on any schemes within zone 1, and perhaps it’s because it’s not logistically feasible. Within larger cities, there seems to be more hurdles to jump over, such as around planning conditions and heritage conservations.
On a recent project for an NHS Trust, a crane was erected outside of a 24-hour Emergency department, which maintained a 24/7 access over a 16-month period whilst the modules were delivered and installed. If we consider there are perhaps more regulations for healthcare modular schemes especially when housing large medical equipment.
If we can make it work for a hospital outside an A&E department, then surely it could work within a larger city and for office fit-outs?
So, what does the future bring? It’s evident that ‘medical providers’ have responded well to the demand, and the supply chain see modular as a credible solution, what we are not seeing is the same passion in other sectors.
Clients providing irregular shaped plots to develop on are not equally modular friendly, which brings its own set of challenges.
At MESH, 40% of all new build projects have been for healthcare modular schemes, where we have delivered projects on theatres, diagnostic suites, extensions to children’s hospital, laboratories, and new mental health units.
Hunters experience designing modular schemes demonstrates that any specialist clinical service across the healthcare campus can be accommodated; from offices and outpatient clinics to; robust mental health facilities and highly serviced departments such as, ED Resuscitation and cardiac catheter labs.