But it is not necessarily the best example to learn from.
Action research is needed to be able to study and do at the same time.Testing out some different business models on live construction projects would be risky, she says, but also a magnificent opportunity.. Bryden Wood has previously discussed the fact that the issues currently holding back the construction industry aren’t the technical aspects, but rather the cultural issues, insurances, warranties etc.
In essence, we need someone to take the brakes off, overcoming the friction and constraints.COVID-19 facilitated that to a certain extent, with companies forced to transition to digital very quickly and managing to do so successfully.However, while every other sector has experienced disruption to their business model creating major changes, construction is very risk averse and the implications are long-term.
To get a digital thing slightly wrong has, in a sense, a transience that doesn’t matter.However, there are bigger implications for not building a building correctly..
In terms of where the construction industry is heading in the near future, Professor Glass says that in addition to prioritising our climate change issues, she’d like to see an end to the use of Return on Capital Employed for all of the major contractors.
If this unsustainable situation were to change, so that we instead faced a scenario whereby Tier 1 contractors were being judged on Return on Investment, it would likely mean that these key players had disrupted their businesses, understood where change was necessary, were investing, doing more R&D, and creating net zero businesses.The construction Platform movement is gaining momentum and we hope it could be our current reality within five to ten years.
It’s entirely achievable, so long as the industry decides that the time has come to take action, and that this is the direction we want to move.If it’s not, then why not?.
To listen to Jaimie Johnston talking about the future of Platform Construction and DfMA in more detail, listen to Episode 2 of our Built Environment Matters podcast.Or, you can download and read our e-book on Platforms.Earlier this year, the government announced that they would spend £2.7 billion on building hospitals.