Platforms - Bridging the gap between construction + manufacturing

You could achieve 10x as much density in a given data hall footprint, but the external mechanical and electrical plant will be 10x bigger.

Our approach will generate a density of information that we can make use of throughout the design and build process (including planning) – and then beyond construction, into the operation of buildings and ultimately their end of life.Standardised data will vastly improve transparency and efficiency, and open up opportunities for future innovation..

Enabling planning as a data-led process will unlock the value of related modern methods of construction, enabling connections with related applications such as the PRiSM app for housing.. Making processes more efficient and transparent will force the hand of the regulatory environment – as we have seen in other sectors, better technology drives the modernisation of regulations.. And, of course, the lessons learned from this project can be applied beyond planning.This sort of project helps create the environment for people – public and professionals – to engage with digital in the public realm.This will be an exemplar of how applying technology creates a proliferation of benefits.. How to create a digital environment for planning.

In order to enable a digitised planning process, the core requirement is to:.Standardise and digitise (as far as possible and/or desirable) the rules under which designs are - by different parties - created, submitted, assessed, consulted on, amended, approved and ultimately built.. Agree the interoperable standard datasets that will enable this, and how to generate and use them.. As already said, the aim of this project is not to create a single solution for this process; we do not believe a single solution is in anyone’s best interests.

We are interested in realising the environment within which one or multiple solutions can be developed and operate together.. To date we have focused on scoping each stage of the process and developing a demo version of how a digital planning process would operate.

The demo version is a series of dashboards showing how sets of interoperable data will enable the planning process at its various stages; which elements can be automated and which will require human intervention; and where we can connect with existing solutions.. Standardising and digitising the rules and datasets will enable us to move from demo to reality.. As said earlier, this is not a question of starting from scratch (or reinventing the wheel): the data already generated through the use of BIM and 3D modelling will form the basis of this process.If you'd like to continue to learn about our Design to Value approach and Modern Methods of Construction, sign up for our monthly newsletter here:.

http://bit.ly/BWNewsUpdatesLean construction for a smarter, more sustainable future.The term ‘Platforms,’ most commonly used in manufacturing, refers to a process whereby sets of components or assemblies can be put together in a multitude of different ways to create a multitude of different products..

In the context of the built environment, the most basic goal of Platform construction (P-DfMA) is to drive value within the sector - to apply the lessons of manufacturing to construction, and do what we do better, more efficiently and more productively.However, the concurrent benefits of adopting a Platform approach are much more wide-reaching; the transformation of a construction industry in crisis and the creation of a safer, healthier and more sustainable way of building for both ourselves and our planet.. Building our future with sustainable infrastructure.