How do office developers deliver better‑quality schemes more quickly, cheaply and sustainably? Particularly when, unlike some other traditional building techniques, office construction is already pretty slick. Steelwork sections are factory fabricated and are quickly bolted together on site. Composite floors are relatively quick to build because the metal decking acts as permanent formwork for the concrete slab. Unitised cladding systems are factory made and are quickly assembled on site, and modularised service installations are becoming the norm.

But this was not good enough for developer Landsec. “Building delivery is becoming progressively more challenging in a world where skilled labour is very much in demand,” explains Neil Pennell, Landsec’s head of design, innovation and property solutions. “It’s important that we deliver more with less going forward, so productivity improvements are really important, particularly in construction because it lags behind so many other industries.”

Pennell’s job is to find a solution to this challenge. Landsec wanted five key outcomes – being able to deliver buildings faster, better, more cost-effectively, more safely and more sustainably. After researching the options, Pennell settled on the platform approach developed by architect and offsite manufacturing specialist Bryden Wood.

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