DFMA and the Industrialization of Construction

It’s easy to criticize the construction industry—plagued with low productivity, high risk, low margin, and little investment in research and development. We’ve heard this messaging repeatedly, but what of the growing and positive trends toward design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA) and the industrialization of construction (IC)? These are often portrayed as niche and specialized, but they’re fast developing to become the norm. This class will highlight examples of how governments, traditional general contractors, forward-thinking designers, and emerging manufacturers across the globe are disrupting the industry and adopting a variety of technology to support their goals. We’ll present trends in DFMA and IC, and explain challenges to adoption. The industry is portrayed as bad—but it’s getting better.