Platform II Explored: Revolutionising Construction with Head of Global Systems, Jaimie Johnston MBE

Welcome to another episode of Bryden Wood's 'Built Environment Matters' podcast, where we delve into the transformative world of Platform II. In this episode, Jaimie Johnston MBE explores how Platform II is setting new benchmarks in the construction industry. Discover the innovative strategies behind the design and implementation of The Forge, the first building constructed using the P-DfMA approach. Uncover the benefits of sustainability, efficiency, and customisability that Platform II brings to building key infrastructures like hospitals, offices, and schools. Hear about the groundbreaking research led by Dr. Danny Murguia at the University of Cambridge and understand how Platform II is not just a concept, but a practical solution shaping the future of construction. 

Join us as we discuss the impact of Platform II on reducing carbon emissions and enhancing productivity in the built environment. 

#PlatformII #BrydenWood #BuiltEnvironmentMatters #ConstructionInnovation

Listen in to learn more...

To learn more about Bryden Wood's Design to Value philosophy, visit www.brydenwood.com. You can also follow Bryden Wood on LinkedIn and X.

To learn more about Bryden Wood's Design to Value philosophy, visit www.brydenwood.com. You can also follow Bryden Wood on LinkedIn and X.

Transcript

Intro: 0:09

Hello welcome to Built Environment Matters a monthly podcast brought to you by Bryden Wood an international company of technologists designers architects engineers and analysts working for a better built environment Bryden Wood Believe in Design to Value to cut carbon, drive efficiency, save time, make beautiful places, and build a better future.

Jaimie Johnston MBE: 0:34

Hello and welcome to 'In Short', a bite-sized podcast in which we explore a single aspect of our Design to Value approach. In September 23, we published our latest book, 'Platforms in Practice'. It's a worked example of how platform theory has become reality. The book talks about the origins of platforms and the creation of Platform II, which is used for mid span buildings including hospitals, offices and schools. It includes a practical guide to applying platforms and an exploration of the Forge, the world's first building designed and constructed using P-DfMA. The book also discusses how platforms aligns with government led recommendations on platform approaches. Specifically, using a structural carrier frame and the benefits of achieving factory like conditions on site. The government has talked extensively about a repeatable grid with common dimensions, and says façade and fit out can be incorporated into the approach, with MEP systems prefabricated to fit into a platform superstructure. Before platforms even existed as a concept in construction, the industry agreed that innovation in the way we build was key to reversing flatline productivity increasing overall efficiency and reducing carbon. One response to this was to manufacture large pre- built sections of entire buildings in a factory and transport them to site. And for a while volumetric module was championed as the future. However, operating massive manufacturing facilities and transporting vast and heavy prefab modules around the world quickly raised major concerns with logistical inefficiency, cost and carbon impact. A platform's approach to design and construction reaps the benefits of manufacturing at component level combined with manufacturing levels of productivity on site. This means a fast, accurate, low carbon carrier frame that allows for the most efficient MEP design and installation. A key aspect of a platform's approach is that we standardise at component level but allow complete freedom at asset level. IKEA has already built a 20 billion dollar business on the same principle. Using a mix of simple commodities like standard steel sections and in situ concrete, combined with highly optimised interfaces, manufactured at scale has multiple benefits. Firstly, it allows for endless configuration. Beams and columns using standard sections can be cut to any length, meaning a wide range of floor to floor heights and grid spans can be created from a single kit of parts. Decades ago, the car industry decided to double down and allow endless customer choice and mass customisation, while still harnessing the benefits of standardisation at component and process level. Consumer tech followed, and now choosing between almost limitless product permutations is a given. Secondly, a diverse supply chain can contribute. Most components are ones the industry already uses. The only new components are small and can be manufactured at scale by a range of existing suppliers or new entrants without major capital investment. Simple installation processes and manufacturing practices such as Poka-yoke reduce reliance on trades, allowing for highly accurate assembly using low skilled operatives. And so we can diversify the workforce. We've already seen this in action with non construction workers delivering pharmaceutical facilities, new prisons, parts of London Heathrow Airport. Finally, the simplification and repeatability of manufacturing and assembly processes allows the application of automation, both in the manufacturing of the components and their installation on site. A study of platforms at The Forge was led by Dr. Danny Murguia, Research Associate at the Laing O'Rourke Centre for Construction Engineering and Technology at the University of Cambridge. This study forms part of wider research being conducted by Cambridge to develop a performance and productivity framework for the UK construction industry. Analysis by the research team showed that by consistently delivering on readily achievable installation rates and an improved workflow, it's possible to significantly reduce construction cycle times and increase productivity. Danny and his team found that P-DfMA offers the potential to double programme productivity, reduce embodied carbon by 20 percent and achieve a 40 percent reduction in programme time. This time saving could be even higher for the superstructure. Because we know the provenance of every component used, and how they're deployed, taking components from one asset and reusing them in another becomes viable. Creating this circular economy where we adopt loose fit superstructures that could be repurposed for something else sounds like future fiction, but it's here right now. A one time office building could become a healthcare centre or an apartment block when its purpose changes. The Construction Innovation Hub, a government backed initiative tasked with bringing manufacturing into construction, calculated that 70 percent of public sector buildings could be delivered using the exact same set of components. So with platforms, the same set of components is used across multiple sectors. This is Platform 2, and its potential for transforming every aspect of the construction industry is clear.

Intro: 5:27

Thank you for listening to Built Environment Matters a podcast brought to you by Bryden Wood. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your favourite podcast and you can follow Bryden Wood on LinkedIn and Twitter