Adapting And Embracing Change

Andrew Orriss, STA Assure Director for the Structural Timber Association (STA), discusses the organisations transformational journey and why adapting to change is crucial for those in the construction sector.

 Competency and compliance are not often considered the most scintillating of subjects and at a time when the construction industry is going through a period of unprecedented change, some are shaking their heads in disbelief at what is coming down the track. But can improvements be made without adapting to change? In my opinion absolutely not, it is the only thing that has brought progress.

 The pace of technological advancements will not let up, so it needs to be supported. Whilst other industries have made great strides to update and modernise, the construction industry has been a bit slower out of the 'starting blocks' but now change is happening at pace and it cannot be ignored. Over the last four years the STA has been going through a period of intense transformation. A few might say this was a risky strategy, as we made some bold decisions which could have polarised some of our members. However, our sector by its very nature is innovative and when at our Annual Conference we outlined our plans surrounding quality, competency and compliance, although some raised concerns – the majority understood the benefits and quickly got on board.

Since 2018 all structural timber building system supplier members must annually go through our independently assessed STA Assure Quality Management Scheme. Audits are sometimes met with trepidation but we're not there to catch people out. The process is supportive and informative. Once members gain an understanding of the procedures and ultimately the benefits, we receive plaudits on how the assessments are conducted and how this has enhanced business processes and streamlined building control and warranty submissions.

But it is equally important for the standards that are achieved in controlled factory conditions, to be carried through to the construction site. This is why we have embedded our Site Safe Policy and Installer Competency Scheme within our STA Assure programme. This makes certain that compliance and quality is an end to end process. Our award-winning Site Safe Policy further ensures that the build process complies with strict Health & Safety Standards and CDM regulations.

We believe that no matter what building systems and materials are used, the quality and safety processes which are mandatory for all STA manufacturing and installer members, should be adopted by all contractors. We are proud that our Site Safe Policy has now been mandated by the HSE and CFOA and is seen as an example for other material groups to follow. Although we've had some challenging times, there is now real positivity around our sector. We fully endorse the findings of Dame Judith Hackitt's final report, 'Building a Safer Future'. Competency and compliance are crucial in achieving excellent standards across all construction projects. Staying ahead of the curve with the sustainable building regulations updates to Part L has played to the strengths of the timber sector and has been an important part of our strategy. Timber systems are now acknowledged as the optimum construction solution in the battle to reduce carbon emissions.

We have gone through this transformational process and as we come out the other side, we are prepared, and our members are well placed to meet the predicted revisions to building regulations.

We are now building on the UK's outstanding heritage – timber architecture is having its moment: however, it is going to be far greater than that. It is a trend that has major potential for the future of building design and development. Continuous technical developments and the need for sustainable management of our resources are further reasons why timber systems are proving to be the material of choice for the decade. We have been on quite a journey but are not complacently sitting on our success, the STA has a strong continuous improvement culture and ongoing developments are planned for our STA Assure programme. Embracing and adapting to change has been a positive step for our Association and our members. As a result, we have gone through a period of substantial growth in our membership and we now represent 75% of the structural timber industry and associated supply chain.

The deal was actually more than two years in the making, during which time our team visited Japan and two of Sekisui's factories to witness an incredible setup. Notable was the company's 750,000sq ft R&D institute in Osaka which features a two-storey earthquake simulator reaching 7.7 on the Richter scale. Sekisui House uses this feature as a sales tool to show their customers the strength of their buildings, and a sophisticated design which absorbs the friction and heat of the earthquake, separate from the inside of the house.

Now, thanks to the deal, we've brought that expertise and advanced R&D to the UK market, and we're already applying the insight as we evolve the hoUSe by Urban Splash modular product offering. From an innovation and technology standpoint there are so many awesome things we are already looking at. The numbers are impressive. Sekisui has delivered more than two million modular homes, with around 15,000 customisable individual homes developed every year. That scalability and the deal means that now we can take a long-term view.

Our partnership's now well-established and we're looking at new sites and new ways of working, but there is still a gap in the industry – whose grasp of modular and offsite manufacture and delivery isn't quite there yet. The private sector cannot revolutionise alone. The Government – through Homes England – has realised that they need to be a catalyst, it does need public sector coercion and support, otherwise it will be vulnerable to market fluctuations and any type of downtown. It needs long-term vision.

The industry is still lacking in its adoption of modular and timber homes – industry statistics show that just 10% of homes are created offsite in this country – meaning we've still got quite a way to go, especially when you read that countries such as Sweden can easily lead the way, with 45% of homes created offsite.

On their arrival in the UK market, our partners Sekisui House were genuinely surprised that the UK industry was so out-dated and we could have a housing crisis. In Japan the output of homes is so enormous and the technology is so advanced – it can sense when a person is home, run a bath for a child and withstand an earthquake, all at scale.

We're conscious though that there is an overload of exciting new options and the challenge will be to be selective, work out what the UK market needs and then gradually build it up. Ultimately, our relationship with Sekisui allows us to invest even more in R&D – ensuring that we're finding new ways to adapt our product and keep our houses at the forefront of the industry.

Share this content