Why Architects Must Embrace the Prefab Revolution

Australia's construction industry stands at a crossroads. With a housing crisis demanding 1.2 million new homes and climate targets requiring radical change, the question isn't whether modern methods of construction (MMC) will transform the industry—it's whether architects will lead that transformation or be left behind.

Ken McBryde from Gensler puts it bluntly: "If architects don't embrace modern methods of construction, our relevance will be diminished as robotic and advanced manufacturing take precedent... If you don't understand where the industry is going, how can you design for it?"

McBryde, as Adjunct Professor at the University of Sydney and Design Director at Gensler Australia, bridges practice and education whilst working on projects like Saudi Arabia's The Line, where MMC is essential for delivering unprecedented scale.

Guulabaa Place of Koala, designed by Gensler ⓒ Forestry Corporation NSW

The Reality Check: A Profession at Risk

McBryde's observations from MMC industry conferences are sobering: "In the last 10 years, I would say, one in 20 in the audience would be an architect at most." This reveals a profession dangerously disconnected from inevitable transformation.

"Modern methods of construction are the most impactful way architects can contribute to two of the world's largest problems: climate change and the unmet demand for housing," McBryde argues. Yet most architects remain fixated on traditional approaches that cannot deliver the required scale, speed, or sustainability.

The resistance stems partly from perception. "In the past, a lot of prefabricated products were of poor quality," McBryde acknowledges, noting unfortunate associations with "remote area dongas." But deeper issues exist around education and practice culture.

"Most architects are trained to dream up something that'll be on the cover of a magazine," McBryde observes. The profession has responded to fee pressure with sophisticated software that "can make outrageously cool looking things really, really fast. But the emphasis has not been on how to build things."

Inverting the Traditional Workflow

Traditional architectural practice follows a gradual effort curve tapering off during construction. MMC demands the opposite: intensive upfront work followed by minimal site involvement.

"All decisions must be made before anything leaves the factory," McBryde explains. "Architects are not used to that, and clients are not used to paying that much upfront fees."

The collaborative demands are equally challenging. Architects must "choose suppliers early" because materials vary between manufacturers. This means engaging and locking in suppliers during concept design—a fundamental departure from traditional procurement.

This workflow inversion affects practices differently depending on their scale. Gensler's global reach provides McBryde with unique advantages: "I have a brains trust of 6,300 colleagues to tap into," with comprehensive knowledge-sharing systems including "a massive reference book on lessons learned" from worldwide projects.

Smaller practices face different challenges but can find unique positioning opportunities. Melbourne-based Foreground Architecture's Associate Director Daniel Coomber describes positioning MMC as "a point of difference, and a value add," particularly for challenging sites. His experience reveals MMC's current positioning in Australia: "usually it's time driven" rather than cost-driven, reflecting the local MMC industry's early stage, which lacks the scale for true cost advantages.

Avondale Primary School designed by Foreground Architecture in collaboration with Modularity by Rendine

Skills Revolution - From Individual Authors to Collaborative Leaders

The profession needs architects who "understand how buildings go together and love the craft of building," McBryde argues. Crucially, architects must shift from individual authorship to collaborative leadership.

"The world is becoming increasingly complex... We need diverse minds around the table... contractors, architects, biologists, physicists... all those people there. Early. Very early."

This skills transformation must begin in architecture schools. McBryde advocates practical approaches: "Set projects in remote areas, where labour costs are really high... students will quickly conclude that they need to build in the city, and then send it out."

Lee Syminton, Senior Lecturer at Curtin University, integrates prefabAUS' Challenge Cup competition into her studio. She notes the high level of student enthusiasm when engaging with MMC: "Students that I have been working with really take [MMC] on board" when working at a manageable scale where they can "really understand the materials and the impacts that each material has, and each way of putting things together."

McBryde also emphasises factory visits: "You need to see a factory in operation... See how quiet they are. See how there's no dust and the excellent working conditions."

Understanding the New Value Proposition

Even high-end architecture increasingly relies on advanced manufacturing. "If you want something really spectacular, it probably needs to be robotic or 3D printed. That's how you get high-end craft these days."

Director of Angelucci Architects, Enza Angelucci's experience delivering seven prefabricated schools demonstrates the potential: "you could design really beautiful bespoke solutions... flexible classrooms" while achieving efficiency through modular coordination.

This reveals a crucial insight: MMC doesn't limit design ambition but channels it more effectively.

Red Hill Consolidated School by Angelucci Architects

Breaking Down Systemic Barriers

The biggest obstacle isn't technical—it's procurement policy. "The prevailing procurement model requires competitive tendering... and that requires three companies who can deliver the same thing in the same way. Well, that's the antithesis of innovation," McBryde argues.

He suggests that by driving a pipeline of projects into prefabricated construction companies, they can adopt partnering models like the automotive industry: "Suppliers say, here's my price for the first year. The price will come down 5% every year because you're giving me a pipeline, and I'll work out how to do it cheaper."

The Choice Ahead

The choice facing architects is stark: lead this transformation or become increasingly marginalised. Those who embrace MMC now, understanding constraints as creative opportunities, will shape Australian construction's future.

As McBryde notes, "Architecture has always been like that"—medieval architects were also master craftspeople. The future belongs to architects who reclaim the integration of design thinking with deep technical understanding, now applied to digital manufacturing rather than stone carving.

The tools have changed, but the fundamental challenge remains: creating meaningful spaces that serve human needs. MMC simply provides more powerful, sustainable, and scalable ways to achieve that timeless architectural aspiration. The transformation is inevitable—the only question is whether architects will lead it or be left behind.