Factory assembly of key project elements means faster deliver and better quality

Willmott Dixon has extensive experience of off-site manufacturing, also known as off-site construction, prefabrication, and modular construction.


We use this approach in most sectors, notably housing, healthcare, offices, retail and leisure.

Types of off-site manufacturing used by Willmott Dixon include:

  • Lightweight steel and timber framing
  • Factory assembled bathrooms (FABs) or pods
  • Cross-laminated timber
  • Prefabricated and precast concrete.

Advantages of off-site manufacturing include:

  • Speed of construction
  • Greater certainty over cost and programme
  • Higher quality
  • Safety
  • A more sustainable approach to construction.

Willmott Dixon uses a trusted supply chain, with manufacturers who fabricate the product components in factories, and specialist contractors who have the expertise to assemble them on site.

We have the expertise in house to advise on project feasibility, design, and potential cost, plus all relevant regulations and standards involving off-site manufacturing.

Increasingly, we are using standardised designs on construction projects – notably the Sunesis design, a partnership with the Scape framework – which involve a high proportion of off-site manufactured components.

Willmott Dixon has the expertise in house to advise on project feasibility, design, and potential cost, plus all relevant regulations and standards involving off-site manufacturing.


Lightweight steel and timber framing

We have successfully delivered over 7,000 light gauge steel frame and timber-frame units to date. In 2013, over 70% of our low- and medium-rise projects used timber and light gauge steel frame systems.

Advantages include:

  • Projects are programmed and constructed around 20% to 30% faster than traditional construction.
  • Faster construction means new homes are available sooner for residents.
  • Reduced heating bills thanks to high thermal performance and air-tightness.
  • High quality of internal finishes due to the accuracy of the factory assembly process.

Prefabricated and precast concrete

Our ‘kit of parts’ is a flat-pack precast concrete system with 11 off-site manufactured standard concrete shapes used to form all external and most internal walls.

The dimensions are modular to support bulk procurement of items such as windows, doors, partitions and fixtures to ensure standardisation.

The removal of the primary frame also achieves water tightness on a project faster.

Factory assembled bathrooms (FABs)

We have installed over 2,700 factory assembled bathrooms (FABs). They deliver a high quality of internal finishes thanks to the system being highly dimensionally accurate.