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WSP's kit-of-parts approach unites digital design, manufacturing and program-level thinking to reshape how we create the built environment with our clients. It is being applied on building projects internationally to support more efficient construction methodologies and can contribute to improvements in quality and safety outcomes.

What is our kit-of-parts approach?

 

Traditionally, designing a building has meant starting from scratch every time, making hundreds of thousands of tiny decisions. Construction can be just as inefficient: millions of components delivered to site by hundreds of trucks and put together by thousands of people.

Our kit-of-parts approach is a new way of designing and constructing buildings. It enables us to combine customized offsite manufacturing solutions within a Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) workflow, and to scale up the benefits across programs (multiple projects).

We identify the most effective delivery approach, and break buildings down into larger components that can be precision-manufactured and transported to site to support efficient assembly. Creating a repeatable, adaptable kit-of-parts for buildings.

Capturing data about both the components and the decision-making process enables ongoing refinement within and between projects, with portfolio-level policies customized to deliver clients’ goals. 

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Thinking bigger and bolder for the future

What benefits could a kit-of-parts approach bring?

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Speed to market

The first project is designed within standard timescales with the aim of delivering faster on site. Subsequent projects can become much quicker to design and assemble – using a kit-of-parts with fabrication-ready components, models and workflow. Feedback can be used to refine the process over time with the potential for faster delivery and reduced time to market compared with traditional approaches.


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Quality and certainty

Building components are precision-made in a controlled factory environment and assembled onsite in line with defined manufacturing tolerances. By setting common rules and standards across a program and streamlining routine decision-making, project teams can focus on adding value and improving the process.


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Sustainability and resilience

Sustainability goals can be set at a program level, with targets for continuous improvement. Shifting elements of construction from site to factory can contribute to reducing waste and improving resource efficiency, and may help lower transport-related emissions in certain project contexts.

Our kit-of-parts approach can help teams work more efficiently and focus effort where it adds most value.

Our kit-of-parts approach in action

Manchester airport pier

 

 

 

United Kingdom

Manchester Airport

Our kit-of-parts approach has been applied to this major airport infrastructure project. We worked with Mace to design and deliver the fixed links and nodes for a new pier carrying passengers between the terminal and planes. By designing a single node with just 64 sub-assemblies in its kit, rather than thousands of components.

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United Kingdom

Environment Agency

Our approach connects a program-level briefing tool to a repeatable kit-of-parts, enhancing how the Environment Agency designs and costs its depots. This initiative is intended to reduce project time and support customisation at scale.

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Env Agency New

From projects to programs, product and beyond

Our kit-of-parts approach accelerates delivery from the first project onwards, but it’s at program-level that the full benefits become clear. By streamlining decision-making, scaling customization, and shifting construction from site to factory, it can support more consistent delivery across programs, more informed decision-making and help to unlock meaningful improvements for clients.

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Projects

A redefined project process helps select the most efficient offsite manufacturing solutions, streamlining thousands of tiny components into larger subassemblies for onsite construction.

Program

Once the kit of parts has been created, teams have a proven design and set of building components and digital tools they can reuse, adapt and refine as needed – enabling more focused decision-making on projects.

Product

Program level content is taken to the next level using stringent product management processes and workflow to manage change and configurations.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How does a kit-of-parts approach work?

Our approach is about a “left shift” – thinking about construction and logistics much earlier in the design process. Digital tools help to enable this, but it's the way of working that is different. For example, detailed fabrication information is produced at the concept design stage. This enables us to identify the components that can be fixed at the very start and create a catalogue of components that can be reused across future projects, programs or a wider set of assets in a portfolio. This speeds up decision-making for anything that is repeatable, as these decisions are linked to fabrication-ready content.

Which sectors can benefit from a kit-of-parts approach to construction?

We believe the kit-of-parts approach can be used widely across the construction industry and are currently applying it to the aviation, rail, industrial, life sciences, defence, data center, energy and residential sectors. It delivers the most benefits at a program level (across multiple projects) where each project is optimized for speed and decision-making once the first project is complete.

How is a kit-of-parts approach different from volumetric construction?

Volumetric construction is just one of many Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) technologies that can bring the efficiency and speed of manufacturing to construction. But it’s not the only one, and it may not be right for every project.

Our kit-of-parts approach enables clients and design teams to identify appropriate construction materials and methods based on project requirements at the start of a program, determining the most appropriate MMC technologies and the best balance between on and offsite working. From concept stage onwards, the design can be optimized for delivery via the chosen solution and reused on future projects to free up design time and create potential economies of scale.

Ready to take the next step?

Contact us today to start your kit-of-parts journey.

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