Opportunities, Challenges and Practicalities of Off-site Fabrication

Ian Tavener | Director – Building Environments | Buro Happold (Building Services Designer)

Tony Falconar | Head of Fabrication | BAXI - (Modular Skid / Off‑site Fabrication Specialist)

David Waterhouse |Contractor | Crown House Technologies - (Building Services Contractor / Installer)

Synopsis:

Join industry leaders for a practical, case‑focused discussion on off‑site fabrication and DFMA for building services. This panel brings together a designer, a manufacturer and a contractor to share real projects, lessons learned and practical guidance on how design, production and installation must align to succeed.

The speakers:

• Ian Tavener | Designer: will explain how design intent, early coordination and technical specification change when systems are intended for factory manufacture rather than traditional site‑by‑site trade fitout. Topics include modularisation strategy, spatial and tolerance requirements, plant-room coordination, interfaces, and producing information that manufacturers and installers can reliably use.
• Tony Falconar |Manufacturer - will describe how skids and modules are engineered and built to the designer’s requirements—covering factory workflows, tolerancing, testing, transport constraints, and quality control. The manufacturer will highlight how early engagement with designers reduces rework and how factory processes shape design decisions.
• David Waterhouse |Contractor – will cover site coordination, logistics and installation of skids, as well as temporary works, site interfaces, setting out and commissioning. The contractor will share lessons on managing handovers, tolerances on site, sequencing and resolving late changes.

Speakers will explore:

• Case studies from each speaker showing their role across projects that used off‑site fabrication and DFMA.
• How the design process differs from traditional on‑site trade installation, with early technical considerations, coordination points and decision gates.
• Practical examples of skid and module design, factory workflows, and site coordination through lived case studies.
• Common pitfalls and lessons learned from each discipline — from incomplete design intent to late changes, tolerances, transport and site interfaces.
• The critical communication links between designer, manufacturer and installer: roles, responsibilities and handover points.
• How collaborative digital tools (BIM/Revit, shared models and cloud platforms) enable coordination, reduce rework, and accelerate delivery.

Who should attend:
Building services engineers and designers, MEP contractors, manufacturers, project managers and other construction professionals seeking to implement or scale off‑site fabrication and DFMA practices.

Why attend:
Take away actionable insights you can apply tomorrow — clearer design checklists, coordination practices, and collaboration workflows that de‑risk off‑site manufacture, reduce onsite disruption and deliver faster, higher‑quality installations.