A temporary classroom with a bouncy floor; freezing in winter, sweltering in summer. This is the memory many people have of modular buildings from their schooldays, and it is a view the industry is still battling against.

“There is a gap between reality and perception and it’s going to take to time to shift those deep-seated notions,” says Nick Griffin, general manager at modular builder Portakabin. “When people hear the word ‘modular’ or the brand name Portakabin, there is set of associations that come with it that are completely out of line with what we are able to deliver.”

Philip Watson, director at architecture practice HLM, agrees: “Perceptions in the collective psyche are that modular construction is quite poor-quality,” adding that even some inside the industry have similar prejudices. “Architects, in the main, suck through their teeth if they have to design in modular, and that has to change. The whole construction industry has to become more forward-thinking.”

“Architects suck through their teeth if they have to design in modular, and that has to change. the whole industry needs to be more forward-thinking”

Philip Watson, HLM

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