Terms such as “prefab” and “rapid build” should be avoided when discussing “modern methods of construction” for housing in order to counter negative perceptions of its use, according to research funded by the State’s Housing Agency.
Modern methods of construction (MMC) generally refers to factory-built homes, or components for homes, which are then installed or assembled on site.
The approach gained prominence in an Irish context about a decade ago when the government announced the construction of 500 “modular” homes for homeless families as the housing crisis began to take hold.
It has since become part of housing policy and was included as a key pillar of the Government’s 2025 strategy, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, to “support the delivery of high-quality housing with reduced delivery times and reduced costs”.
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Research commissioned by housing charity Focus Ireland and funded by the Housing Agency notes output has been “disappointing” despite a Government target for MMC use in “at least” a quarter of new social and affordable homes by 2030.
“While the benefits of MMC are many, the high cost of upfront investment, stakeholder wariness about new technology, and historic stigma associated with forms of MMC, specifically ‘prefab’ and ‘rapid-build’ housing, has contributed to slow pace of uptake by stakeholders.”
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The report, Attitudes and Effective Communication on Modern Methods of Construction, recommends policymakers and other stakeholders emphasise the environmental benefits of MMC such as the energy efficiency of the homes, and lower waste in their production, and avoid words that trigger negative reactions such as “prefabs”.
The research involved interviews with six focus groups and a survey of more than 1,000 adults by Amárach Research. Just over half of respondents said they would buy a MMC house, 17 per cent said they would not and 31 per cent were unsure. However, almost 70 per cent said MMC homes “will help towards or provide the answer to” the housing crisis.
Participants “recalled poor-quality prefab classrooms or portacabins, leading them to associate MMC with impermanence or lower standards. While many acknowledged that technology has advanced significantly, the old ‘prefab’ image persists in public opinion”, the researchers said.
“A considerable challenge to the further adoption and implementation of MMC in Ireland is potential for local public resistance.”
The language used in discussing or promoting MMC could contribute to its association with “short-term, low-quality accommodation which is aesthetically unattractive and not a positive contribution to the urban environment”.
The report recommended the Department of Housing convene a “broad coalition of stakeholders tasked with building public support and confidence for MMC”. This should include State agencies such as the SEAI, local authorities, financial institutions prepared to lend to MMC homes, builders and those delivering houses, as well as people living in MMC homes.
The group should “accentuate the innovative and modern nature of MMC, the energy efficiencies, and the positive impact on the environment”, the report says.
It should provide detailed information on quality assurance, longevity and architectural design “to counteract perceptions that MMC is lower-quality, temporary housing”.
