BPM planning guide
Choosing an Offsite Building System
Start with your building, rather than a preferred material.
Define the outcome
A family home, extension, commercial building and repeated accommodation scheme have different priorities. Start with the intended use, layout, building size and the people who will use it. Identify what matters most: flexibility, site disruption, programme, design features or the division of work between factory and site.
Compare the complete package
An open timber panel, a SIP panel and a finished modular unit represent different scopes. Compare equivalent stages of completion. Ask what is included in engineering, manufacture, insulation, delivery, lifting, installation and follow-on work. A low headline kit price is not a complete project budget.
Understand the site constraints
Access width, delivery routes, unloading space, storage and lifting arrangements can change which systems are practical. Foundation tolerances and installation sequence need to suit the chosen system. Discuss these constraints before committing to manufacture.
Coordinate the design early
Check who owns the architectural design, structural engineering and system details. Resolve openings, connections, services and interfaces before manufacture. Later alterations may affect production, cost and programme.
Develop an informed shortlist
BPM can coordinate a shortlist against your drawings, requirements and scope. The next step is a comparable supplier brief, followed by confirmed technical input and a quotation. Where the system is specialist, feasibility and supplier availability are established first.