The construction sector frequently emphasises the need to build faster, with greater quality and consistency. Yet a critical question remains: are we designing in a way that truly enables industrialisation?

All too often, design and delivery are treated as distinct and disconnected phases, design as an upstream activity and delivery as downstream. If construction is to become truly industrialised, this separation is no longer viable.

Charlotte Garrett, Head of Industry Strategy at KOPE, examines the role of Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) in enabling industrialised construction. She explores how DfMA principles can be practically applied, the mindset shift required and what DfMA looks like when implemented on a real-world project.

DfMA is not a tool, a product, or a checklist, it is a mindset that requires us from the very outset to consider how something is made, how it will be assembled and what decisions need to be made early on to ensure it can be delivered efficiently and safely.

Importantly, DfMA does not constrain creativity; rather, it channels it more effectively. It is about designing with the supply chain, not around it.

DfMA embeds manufacturing logic and assembly thinking into the design process from the beginning. It starts with Design for Manufacture, considering how a design can be broken down into repeatable components that are efficiently producible in a manufacturing environment. Then comes Design for Assembly, ensuring those components can be installed on site quickly, safely and with minimal waste and error.

To briefly set the wider context, our industry is not short of terminology. We hear about MMC, offsite construction, platform approaches, productisation and industrialisation. These all reflect the positive shifts taking place across our sector. Within this landscape, DfMA serves as a technical foundation for many MMC categories. It is not about where we build, but how we design to build.

DfMA supports platform approaches by helping define repeatable geometries, interfaces and logic that make platforms scalable.

It underpins productisation by making repeatable systems manufacturable and installable. And it provides the design language that industrialisation fundamentally relies upon. DfMA is not in competition with these terms; it connects and supports them all.

First, we aim to lock in geometry early, which enables manufacturers to plan and commit with confidence. We use repeatability where it adds value, deploying standardised components to reduce variation and complexity.

We design with real manufacturing constraints in mind, considering machine sizes, handling limits and logistics. We allow process to shape design, making early decisions that reduce risk and improve cost, speed and safety.

And we think about how components will be assembled, designing panels that are sized and sequenced to support fitting and fixing on site.

All these principles and many more, are embedded in the design process as early as possible. That is the essence of DfMA, introducing this thinking from the outset.

Now, I want to give a real-world example of how we can embed DfMA in the design process using digital tools. Saint-Gobain have developed a pre-panelised wall system, using DfMA principles. This system is standardised to be scalable and it has been optimised both for manufacturing and for on-site assembly. It is not a one-size-fits-all product and it is not suitable for every project.

At KOPE, we are working with Saint-Gobain to assess whether a given project is appropriate for this product. Using KOPE’s tools, we can take a design model, break it down into Saint-Gobain’s internal components and assess compatibility.

We are also able to suggest design adjustments, reviewing wall openings and positions of doors and windows. Once the design is confirmed to be suitable, we can issue a productised model along with quantities, schedules and sequencing data.

Furthermore, we can connect this sequencing data to QR codes on each panel.

On site, installers can scan each panel to understand the sequence in which it should be assembled, allowing for verification and real-time guidance. This creates a digital thread that connects design, delivery and product in a seamless way.

DfMA provides the language to bring design, delivery and product together. It enables architects to reduce complexity, gives manufacturers a clearer brief and offers clients greater confidence in outcomes.

So, the real question isn’t does DfMA work? We know it does.

The real question is how are we going to embed it in practice, in the everyday habits of our design and delivery teams?