Modular: revolution or false dawn?

Modular: revolution or false dawn?

Part of the #INGdebates series. Follow @INGmedia for further updates

Modular construction is making a bold return. The UK has for decades lagged behind its northern European neighbours in delivering factory-made buildings, but there is a renewed appetite for technological innovation in construction, and developers and public bodies alike are backing MMC.

In this year’s March budget the UK government announced a taskforce aimed at accelerating the delivery of modular homes as a means of tackling the housing crisis, making it a key focus of the ‘Build Back Better’ agenda. Modular homes can be delivered faster, cheaper and in many cases more sustainably than traditionally constructed housing.

Modular continues to have an image problem, however. There is a lingering perception that ‘prefab’ negates design quality, and among certain architectural circles, ‘modular’ remains a dirty word.

This #INGdebates brings together key players from across the industry to tackle some of the big questions:

Why has modular construction historically failed to become mainstream and what, if anything, has changed?
How can the industry capitalise on government support to push forward modular delivery?
Where does modular construction fit into the sustainability agenda – could it play a key part in the ‘Green Industrial Revolution’?
What happens to modular buildings in 50 years? Could they be retrofitted?
Can the public be convinced of the quality of modular homes?
Will architects get over their reticence to MMC? Could a modular building ever win the Stirling Prize?