REHAU Report Shows How Offsite Construction Can Overcome Skyrocketing Demand on UK Building Industry

A new report is encouraging mechanical services contractors, specifiers and developers to accelerate the uptake and deployment of offsite construction techniques.

22.11.2023

With pressure for major construction projects growing across the UK, a new report is encouraging mechanical services contractors, specifiers and developers to accelerate the uptake and deployment of offsite construction techniques, particularly when it comes to building services.

The UK is currently falling short of its annual target to build 300,000 new homes in England^[1], while 90% of student accommodation rooms for the 2023/24 academic year had already been sold by April 2023^[2]. With a 17% increase in hotel construction projects also reported over 2024^[3], pressure is on the construction sector to build faster as confidence in city centre building continues to rise.^[4]

REHAU’s new report, Offsite Trends in Building Services explores how modern methods of construction (MMC) can help tackle this issue. Underlining a skills shortage of 937,000 construction industry vacancies by 2032, it looks specifically at how to implement mechanical service installation into offsite projects to make builds easier and faster.^[5]

Steve Richmond, Head of Marketing and Technical, REHAU Building Solutions, said: “Building at pace within tight footprints and using traditional methods is undoubtedly difficult, necessitating new approaches such as MMC. This new report details what is possible and how different offsite methods suit specific projects and help provide simpler, faster and high-quality builds for contractors, all within a factory-controlled environment.”

With high-rise construction increasingly necessary in high-density urban areas, REHAU’s guide highlights how the company can help with the challenge of building at height in smaller spaces. At the same time, it uncovers obstacles that contractors, specifiers and developers must overcome when using offsite construction methods to ensure quality work.

The guide includes information on key components that can be assembled at the factory and transported and assembled onsite for a high-quality build. This includes modular shafts, pre-wall constructions, bathroom pods and polymer risers, as well as relatively new technologies such as thermally activated building structures (TABS), which can provide both heating and cooling.

“There have already been many exciting innovations across the globe to further improve offsite construction methods that we have included within this new guide,” Steve concludes. “Like all fields, MMC is continually developing, and the hope is that through this whitepaper, readers can find out more about these innovative methods and solutions, and best put MMC techniques into practice to meet market demand.”

To download REHAU’s report, ‘Offsite Trends for Building Services’, CLICK HERE.

^{[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/61407508 [2] https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/buildings/industry-cannot-keep-pace-with-student-housing-demand-13-04-2023/ [3] https://www.glenigan.com/market_analysis/construction-industry-forecast/ [4] https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/press-releases/articles/city-centre-living-buoys-construction-activity-deloitte-crane-survey.html [5] https://www.aboutapprenticeships.com/reports/uk-trade-skills-index-2023/}