Design for Manufacturing and Assembly overlay to the Plan of Work

Summary

The new edition of the the Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work (first published in 2016) is based on five years of evolution, including the definition of seven categories of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), and aligns with the RIBA Plan of Work 2020. The supporting report sets out drivers of change towards a manufacturing mindset as well as explaining why a DfMA approach must be adopted as a default to fulfil the outcomes our industry needs to achieve.

As much as DfMA is a technical process, it is also a philosophy that should be seen as an extension or evolution of the designer’s ordinary way of working – and does not alter the fundamentals of good design and production, which have always been about getting the best possible outcomes for clients and communities.

The DfMA Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work aims to dispel the myth that DfMA is a barrier to great architecture or reserved just for a few new build sectoral building types. As the case studies in the report clearly highlight, DfMA can produce extraordinary, award-winning architecture, with few limits on where it can be applied. It is relevant to all kinds of projects, including small projects and work on existing buildings.