Why We Need to Design for Manufacture From Day One - Before It’s Too Late

Hey, I’m Caryn, Business Operations Manager at Timber Engineering.

I was in a meeting recently when someone asked me a question I get asked all the time -
“What’s the one core message you’d want to share with potential customers and partners?”

Rather than give my usual answer, It made me think, like most of us, I’m used to diving straight into the benefits of UltraKit, how it saves time, cuts costs and supports energy-efficient building and all of that is absolutely true but as I thought about the question more, I realised something important – All too often, people come to us when it’s already too late.

By the time they’re reaching out to us, their design is locked in, the plans are fixed and any real opportunity to build in efficiency from the ground up has passed.

So here’s the core message I want to share:

If you are designing or building homes, to truly benefit from the speed, savings, and sustainability that offsite construction and timber systems can offer, you have to design with manufacture and installation in mind  -  right from the very start.

That single shift in thinking can make all the difference, not just for one project, but for the future of housing at scale.

I’ve shared some of my thoughts on this below and I hope it helps spark some ideas before your next project leaves the drawing board.

· The design stage makes or breaks a project.

If you wait until after the design is done to think about manufacturing, you're already on the back foot. We see it all the time, intricate rooflines, bespoke layouts, fancy finishes that look incredible on screen but don’t tie up with efficient production or installation.

Design for Manufacture and Assembly  isn’t about limiting creativity, it’s about designing smart. It's about understanding how each part of the home is going to be made, moved and installed before the first wall is even drawn. Trust me, your future self (and your site team) will thank you for it.

✅ Tip: Involve your timber or offsite manufacturing partner during concept design. They can advise on standardised dimensions, structural layouts and sizing that simplify manufacturing and save you time later.

· Fast, simple Installation isn’t boring - It’s Brilliant!

One of the best things about designing with manufacture in mind is how much smoother things go on-site. You get homes up faster with less stress, less waste and fewer surprises. Think standardised connections and repeatable layouts.

This isn’t just about saving time (although we do love a quick install!). It’s about de-risking your project and getting more homes handed over without compromising on quality.

✅ Tip: Design with transport, handling and crane access in mind. Ask early: How will this arrive on site? How will it be installed? Even small tweaks like consistent panel sizes can make a huge difference.

· Simplicity ≠ Sameness

I get it. When people hear "standardised" or "efficient," they worry it means soulless boxes stacked in rows but let me be clear, you can absolutely have character and charm without overcomplicating the build.

It’s all about smart repetition, designing modules and layouts that work over and over again but allowing for little tweaks in cladding, materials, colour or orientation to give it that human touch. We’re not building products, we’re building people’s homes.

✅ Tip: Find a few key design elements to repeat and refine. Stick to regular types, shared wall types and mirrored layouts where possible and then bring variety through materials, façade treatments and landscaping.

· Affordable doesn’t mean cheap, It means smart

There’s a huge misconception that affordability means cutting corners and this is simply not true. Affordable means using your resources wisely and when you design with manufacture in mind, you can bulk-buy, reduce labour and avoid the costly wastes and errors that can often happen on site.

✅ Tip: Think in systems, not just components. Use the early design stage to align structure, services and finishes in a repeatable way and work closely with your supply chain partners to lock in efficiencies before you break ground.

To finish up, my one ask is that you don’t wait until you’re too far down the road -  Start with manufacture in mind, get your engineers, your architects, your installers talking before you’re locked in.  I promise it will save you time, money and a whole lot of frustration down the line.

At Timber Engineering, we’re passionate about helping people get this right not just for the sake of efficiency, but for the future of housing itself. Let’s not look back five years from now and wish we had  changed sooner!