Project 23: When Prefab Hits the Ground

Build-to-rent shifts the housing profit model from capital gains to one based on ongoing rental income, with viability tied to minimising ongoing expenditure. However traditional construction practices in Australia have been criticised for their focus on the reduction of upfront construction costs at the expense of quality, performance and flexibility. Current and emerging prefabrication processes could provide the efficiency and quality of construction necessary for built-to-rent. This scoping study sought to examine the intersection of build-to-rent assets and prefabrication processes to identify opportunities for the housing and construction sector to reduce ongoing greenhouse gas emissions and increase the quality of stock. The housing market and viability for prefabricated construction in Australia is multifaceted. No one single housing model, building typology, tax concession or regulatory change alone can facilitate greater uptake. However, identifying and understanding the implications of constellations of related factors, and how they may collectively offset the risk of expansion or innovation, can assist prefabricators in making decisions regarding market infiltration and expansion.In lieu of available information about the operational factors influencing business models and development decisions, this scoping study developed a series of mapping techniques to attempt to document and understand the possible relationships between contextual factors. This report speculates as to some of the factors that may have created a more viable context for prefabrication and innovative housing models