Automated Construction: Why Manufacturing Is the Future of the Sector

Construction is the last sector (after agriculture, manufacturing, and mining) that continues to throw thousands of people at a problem, working with chronically low productivity in physically and mentally challenging conditions. The time has come to apply learning from other sectors and vastly increase productivity in both the design and delivery of assets. The shift to digital design is accelerating, thanks to sophisticated, data-driven tools that go beyond BIM (Building Information Modeling). Algorithmic simulation, machine learning, and generative design vastly accelerate the process. Better still, they generate far more possible solutions, which means better outcomes. Meanwhile, new forms of construction are harnessing the benefits of manufacturing. Construction “platforms” combine design, manufacture, and procurement principles holistically to ensure a greater degree of rationalization and integration. Manufactured components can be used across sectors creating high, constant demand and economies of scale.