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The role of data is a fundamental important topic in the modular construction industry – how we collect it, what we do with it, and how we can use it to improve building performance. But, in an industry laden with facts and figures, are we seeing where the opportunities lie? Are we doing enough to utilise the tools and resources available to improve the way we design and build?

There is a lot of talk surrounding data usage in the modular construction and educational sectors, not just within the industries but also from external sources such as educational governing bodies and community groups. After attending the Modular Matters event in February, where I participated in the Designing for the Future panel debate, it is clear there are many questions about what more we can do to use the huge amounts of information available to us when delivering a project.

On an individual project basis, the industry is very good at ensuring that there is plenty of data available once a project is complete, for example; we can provide a trouble-shooting guide explaining how the finished building works. But the industry isn’t at a place yet where it can truly show clients how valuable that data is.

In many cases, we can attribute this to the fact that data is often assessed at the end stages of the project. We need to create a culture where we can look for opportunities to gather information from the start of a project. As an industry, we need to be more data-driven early on, capturing details with more surety. By doing this, we can give the client a better understanding of what they want to achieve and what we can deliver for them.

Lungfish Architects have recently delivered more than £40million worth of educational facilities in Derby, whereby time saving was a huge factor for our clients Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council – particularly as rising energy prices and cost of materials have led to delays across the board. Data needs to prove how these delays can be minimised. We work with our clients to understand the benefits of modular design and the speed with which we can get a project planned, designed, and costed because we have that mine of data available.

From our perspective as designers and architects, we know there are external pressures – for example, housing developers building in the local community creates an increased need for accessible school places. We understand the objectives and what affects this bigger local picture. Having that knowledge and project data at our fingertips from the outset, means we can design accordingly. We can get one of our schools through the planning process in the minimum turnaround time of 12 weeks but this level of speed and performance can often only be achieved with modular design.

One of our most successful projects, Ravensdale Infant & Nursery School saw the demolition, design and delivery of a brand-new school, replacing a building damaged by fire during the pandemic. The existing structure needed complete demolition and replacement. The wealth of data available from the initial stages allowed us to understand not only the restrictions of the budget but the requirements for the pupils, staff and local community. Already having a strategically built family of schools available nearby meant students could be accommodated elsewhere in other schools while the work took place. 

For us, we have seen how the early use of data can really elevate a project. There’s no denying data is highly valuable to use once a project is complete, but having a data-rich approach from the start allows us to not only see what we have created once the project is ready to hand over to the client, but to better understand how we got there in the first place.

This article was originally featured in Offsite Magazine, issue 37, May/June 2023.