Designing for Manufacture and Assembly: a new way to build for better communities
Australia’s housing crisis demands faster, more affordable, and higher-quality ways to build. Cue the radical precision of Designing for Manufacture and Assembly.
WHAT IS DFMA?
Designing for Manufacture and Assembly, often called DfMA, is a design approach that enables the construction of homes and buildings to be more efficient, cost-effective, and easier to build.
DfMA provides a clear framework for optimising design by considering the limitations and opportunities of pre-fabrication and assembly right from the outset. Many parts are made off-site in controlled environments — leading to less waste and fewer mistakes. These parts are then assembled on-site like a jigsaw puzzle. It’s a process that not only enhances efficiency and reduces costs but also ensures architectural designs remain buildable within genuine project constraints.
DfMA principles underpinned both the design and construction process for our work on Arup’s new Brisbane headquarters. Early collaboration among designers, engineers, and manufacturers led to a sustainable workplace that’s currently targeting the stringent performance requirements of the Living Building Challenge, a standard few projects worldwide have achieved.
Arup Brisbane’s off-site construction potential was refined through prototyping, enabling the team to optimise for efficiency and minimise waste. Using prefabricated sub-components and incorporating both virgin and existing materials from the actual site and other construction sites, this project is setting genuine benchmarks for environmental sustainability.
WHY DO WE NEED AN ALTERNATIVE WAY TO BUILD?
Much debate swirls around what truly holds construction back from being more efficient and cost effective. Is it a lack of innovation or the increasing complexity of our projects, driven by regulatory demands, stakeholder expectations, and technology integration?
In our experience, the challenge is less about inefficiency and more about negotiating these layered complexities. DfMA tackles these problems head on. It simplifies designs where possible, using standard parts when it makes sense, and still allowing for options to customise. It’s the sweet spot between fast-build efficiency and high-quality, unique homes and buildings.
The techniques used during the design and construction phase for First Building at Bradfield City in Western Sydney for example, ensure materials and components remain reuseable throughout their lifecycle, driving radical resource efficiency. Standardised modules allowed for rapid assembly, without compromising design flexibility — a strategic approach that guarantees delivery speed and long-term sustainability.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
Adopting DfMA and Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) can bring many benefits*:
- Faster building: In some cases, construction times are cut by up to 40%. This means homes can be delivered more quickly to people who need them most.
- Lower running costs: While upfront costs can sometimes be higher, the total costs over the life of the building — like maintenance and energy bills — can be up to 30% lower than with traditional building methods.
- More jobs: Making building parts in factories doesn’t mean fewer jobs. In fact, it creates new types of jobs in regional areas, and can offer more regular hours and better working conditions.
- Less waste: Making parts in a factory helps control the use of materials closely, leading to less waste, better recycling, and lower carbon emissions.
WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE TO MAKE THIS THE NORM?
To build more homes using these modern approaches, we need some changes to policies and procurement methods in Australia — like allowing for more flexible building codes, expanding finance pathways, and giving businesses long-term construction opportunities through government or private pipelines. While standardisation is often perceived as limiting customised design, DfMA does not mean sacrificing design quality. It means intelligently embedding flexibility within standard systems, and with the right detail in early-stage design, it’s possible to combine manufacturing efficiency with quality architectural expression.
LOOKING AHEAD
If we get this right, in the next decade we could see modern construction become the norm for new Australian homes — delivering high-quality, affordable homes at the speed our communities need, while creating new job opportunities and reducing our impact on the environment. Close collaboration and a willingness to embrace these smarter ways to build can help solve some of the biggest challenges facing Australian communities and set a new benchmark for quality, sustainability, and value.
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