Why MMC is crucial in delivering healthcare projects
With constant news of strain on the NHS and constraints around healthcare in the UK, there is a need now more than ever to revolutionise the industry and ensure its fit for purpose well into the future. But what’s the answer to this predicament? We believe it’s MMC.
Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) boast a number of benefits and are increasingly being turned to as the number one choice for a wide range of residential projects. Modular homes (by the likes of ilke Homes) are growing in popularity thanks to the way they improve the construction process, as well as the fact that they’re more environmentally friendly to run after they’ve been built.
Yet there’s still plenty of progress to be made to ensure that MMC is implemented across the board, from commercial projects to leisure to healthcare. And there are a number of reasons it will be particularly crucial in advancing the healthcare sector and its infrastructure.
Cost
Generally speaking, MMC comes with a much lower price tag than traditional building methods. The tight budgets surrounding the healthcare sector are well documented and so if we’re to improve the buildings in this industry, cost needs to be factored into this.
MMC has previously been surrounded by misconception because of its lowered price tag. It isn’t lower because it’s a low quality product; it’s lower because of the off-site manufacturing style and the fact that it requires a lot less time on site.
Construction sites can be rather expensive to run, so naturally by reducing the time required there, you can save money.
Speed
According to statistics, the average MMC build is 72 compared to 112 weeks when using traditional methods. The speed with which MMC projects can be completed is not only a benefit when it comes to cost either, there are a myriad of reasons that this can be beneficial.
For example, construction sites come with a number of risks, including the health and safety of the people working on the site. By cutting the amount of time spent there, you in turn cut the potential safety risks.
An area that is particularly important when it comes to the healthcare industry is the disruption that any work may cause. Whereas in other sectors, a project can take as long as is required (commercial aspects notwithstanding), healthcare is a sector where it is vitally important that service continues as normal, and more buildings are created quickly.
By minimising the time on site, the disruption to any existing infrastructure and its service is kept to a minimum, so that any new buildings don’t have a negative impact on any existing ones.
Flexibility
The healthcare industry is changing. While healthcare environments used to focussed on treatment-based, somewhat transactional models, there is a shift that’s happening to move it towards a more service-based model, with a focus on wellbeing and integrating into the communities which they serve.
With that, and the sustainability agenda in mind, we must ensure that any infrastructure created now is not only created with the future in mind, but also future-proofed against any further developments in the healthcare sector.
MMC is great for providing flexible and adaptable solutions which lend themselves to changing as the requirements of a building do. For example, a number of panels and volumetric modules can be changed and re-used from one project to another if required. This is very rare in traditional building and most of the time, bricks and other materials are simply wasted if the building needs to be changed or knocked down.
With the help of MMC, we can ensure that healthcare projects are leading the way in the future of construction.