Analysis of Modular Construction adoption in the UK housing sector

The aim of the research was to analyse the development and adoption of modular construction within the UK housing sector. This was achieved through primary and secondary research. The primary research adopted quantitative and qualitative measures through a questionnaire survey of fifty-eight housebuilding professionals, as well as interviews with five industry professionals.

The key findings of this data found that the perception of the public and those working within industry needs to improve in order for modular construction to be widely adopted on a mass scale in this sector. Topics such as the skills shortage were researched and found to be an issue, but the requirement for a large labour force is apparently reduced with the adoption of factory produced modular units. A modern method of construction (MMC) target of one in four publicly funded units was introduced by the government in 2004. This was addressed within this study, but the data collected suggests this has not been achieved.

While there are still some reservations regarding the uptake of modular housing construction, there are also various positives highlighted within this study. These include increased energy efficiency and sustainability, agreed by the majority of the respondents as major drivers, alongside the increased speed of build and quality improvement compared to the traditional method. Overall, this study provides a good insight into the current state of attitudes and perceptions within the industry regarding modular construction and analysis of quantities of modular dwellings being built in the UK.

As a result of the analysis of the development and adoption of modular construction, the author recommends the introduction of more specific training, financial incentives, and improved communication regarding the benefits of modular built homes to attract more house buyers.