100 Factories
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Why local workshops will power the next big building revolution.
Foreword by Alastair Parvin
There is a running joke in construction that ‘prefabrication has been the future for as long as anyone can remember’. It’s a theoretical vision of the future, not a present reality.
100 Factories: A New Approach to Sustainable Homebuilding
100 Factories is transforming UK homebuilding by creating a distributed network of local manufacturers to produce modular timber building kits. Instead of relying on large, centralised factories, this approach empowers SMEs, strengthens local supply chains, and accelerates the adoption of low-carbon, high-quality homes. By combining digital manufacturing, sustainable materials, and innovative ‘Design for Distributed Manufacture and Assembly’ (DfDMA) principles, 100 Factories is driving the shift toward net-zero, circular construction—making housing more affordable, resilient, and environmentally responsible.
Deliverable 1 ––
Material Passport (MP)
A prototype data architecture and web application that documents the sustainability and manufacturing provenance of housing building blocks. This includes data on material origin, custody chain, and transport history - a “track and trace” system for building components.
Deliverable 2 ––
Design for Distributed Manufacture and Assembly Platform (DfDMA-P)
A web application designed for SME manufacturers to oversee the management and production of building components, from order to delivery, including integrated quality control checks.
Outcome 3 ––
Demonstrator case study
Both of these applications were tested and validated in the design, manufacture and assembly of a case study building: a WikiHouse timber cabin built in Dartington, Devon. A Life-Cycle Analysis of the embodied and operational carbon of the cabin was also carried out by SCS Partnership, leveraging data from SME partners and the Material Passport database to develop a comparative whole-life carbon assessment when compared with an equivalent “brick and block” building model.
100 Factories: A New Approach to Sustainable Homebuilding
The UK is facing two critical challenges: a housing shortage and the urgent need to transition to zero-carbon construction. At the same time, the country’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the construction sector are underutilised, struggling to compete with large, centralised factories. The 100 Factories project offers a bold new solution—creating a distributed network of local manufacturers to produce modular timber building kits, enabling sustainable, high-quality homes to be built efficiently and affordably.
By harnessing digital manufacturing and the power of local supply chains, 100 Factories is designed to accelerate the adoption of modern methods of construction (MMC). Instead of relying on a few large, high-risk factories, this model enables a network of SMEs to manufacture precision-engineered, low-carbon building components using locally grown timber. This approach not only makes home construction more sustainable and resilient, but also strengthens the UK’s economy by supporting local businesses and creating skilled jobs.
Meet the Team
