It has a comprehensive imaging department and a large physiotherapy capacity for elective care and rehabilitation services.. And yet it cost 30% less to build than comparable hospitals.. Design to Value - an integrated approach to architecture and construction.

As with all change, the principle barriers will be the cultural shift required..However, because we are not seeking to apply a single solution to the entire process, we will not be seeking to change the entire process at the same time.

Once the core parameters and rules are in place and the environment is enabled, the overall project can advance incrementally, demonstrating benefits and value as it goes.. As with many instances of progress, there may be vested interests that might object to aspects of this project from a position of self-interest.We cannot deal with them here.This project will shine a light on what is possible.. Further applications: the benefits to government and local plans.

The solutions may be different, but the principles we are exploring here have very positive ramifications for other areas.. Local/central government: the principle of making information interoperable and shareable, or policies more machine-readable and rules-based, while smoothing flow of information ‘before use’, is applicable in many areas: domestic planning, perhaps, where we could unblock permitted development and focus more on sustainable development; or major infrastructure projects where incompatible information systems breed wasted time and resources.. Local plans: are all based on evidence, which is all based on data.Data fixed in time is by definition out of date, while digitisation in the holistic context – as this project is demonstrating – gives us the opportunity to keep data and evidence current, informing and improving engagement and decision-making.. Next steps: collaboration to foster continuous improvement.

There are others operating in this space.

This project has the potential to enable effective and creative collaboration between all of them, providing the shared basis on which other projects can connect, operate and develop.Government should be applauded for this consistent direction of travel, and it’s worth recounting the linked pieces of work that predate this latest announcement..

The development of Platforms started back in 2016, when the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) appointed us to develop a new type of prison, focused on rehabilitative outcomes for prisoners.One aspect of the project was to maximise the use of DfMA and set a new benchmark for public sector adoption.

It soon became apparent that systems developed for the MOJ (whose estate includes education, healthcare, offices, sports halls and workshops) would also be appropriate for the wider public sector..The cross-department Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Working Group fostered this approach and adopted the term ‘Platforms’.