BIS Shrapnel research analyst James Middleton tells MHProNews the market is being hampered by fears that modular is an inferior product, and by the small and fragmented Australian market. He added that better features and designs are helping to change perceptions, and that modular building has great potential, especially for affordable housing.
Speaking with sourceable, Yorkshire-based Intelligent Offsite director Paul Bonaccorsi says manufacturers need to be innovative and flexible in seeking out new markets because many contractors are comfortable with traditional methods. He says, “The driving force will be the clients. In the majority of cases we have seen, the client pushes the contractor down the route of off-site.”
Noting Australia is slow on the uptake of the modular industry, advocates say it offers faster production times, less labor requirements, fewer defects, less waste, higher safety levels and increased sustainability. Bonaccorsi says contractors need to study different wiring systems and other processes that speed up overall production and also have cost advantages. ##
(Image credit: sourceable–Torossi and Rosevear)
