Some of Ireland’s best-known construction companies are among the founding members of a new industry body, MMC Ireland, established to represent those involved in the planning, design, procurement or delivery of offsite and other modern methods of construction in Ireland.

In response to delivery challenges, the Irish government has committed to enabling a more efficient and sustainable approach to the design, construction and operation of buildings. MMC will play a vital role in helping the State to meet ambitious targets set out under both the National Development Plan and the National Planning Framework, and increasing MMC adoption is critical to the post-pandemic recovery of Ireland’s built environment, economy and communities.

MMC Ireland is a collaboration of industry talent and experience, working in partnership to gather insights and the team will work closely with stakeholders from the public sector, the private sector and from academia to ensure those insights feed into relevant policymaking. The genesis of this organisation can be traced back to a gathering in 2019 where the chairman of both Tide Construction & Vision Modular Systems, John Fleming, inspired the industry with a vision of ‘Rebuilding Ireland through Modular Construction’.

Speaking about the establishment of MMC Ireland, co-founder Arthur O’Brien, Managing Director at C+W O’Brien Architects shared: “Having been involved in the design of MMC projects for several years, I am acutely aware of the challenges project owners face and these challenges are best tackled together. I have been humbled by the strength and knowledge base of the founding members in recent months and by harnessing this strength and knowledge, we can drive this sector forward.”

The newly-elected Members’ Board is made up of  Declan Wallace of Evolusion Innovation, Pat Kirwan of C+W O’Brien Architects, Tony McLoughlin of Glenveagh Properties plc, Eoin Waldron of Castle Modular, Ger Fahey of Horizon Offsite Ltd, Richard Walsh of O’Dwyer Steel and Kevin Loftus of Cairn Homes plc.

Speaking at the announcement of the new MMC Ireland Board, Declan Wallace, CEO of Evolusion Innovation and newly-elected Board Member emphasised that: “The overarching objectives of the body are to develop and promote Ireland’s MMC sector in order to build knowledge and awareness of the products and systems on offer in Ireland. Moreover, our members – through engagement with all stakeholders including relevant government departments and building control authorities – are committed to ensuring a regulatory environment that addresses compliance, testing, certification, quality and other obstacles to MMC adoption.”

Head of MMC Delivery at C+W O’Brien Architects and newly-elected Board Member, Pat Kirwan: “It has been proven that modern methods of construction can lead to more efficient and effective construction methodologies, which help to reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment. Through the establishment of MMC Ireland, the construction industry now has a shared voice to develop a coordinated response to the many challenges we face such as a severe housing crisis and climate change.”

In addition to the aforementioned Board members, founding members of MMC Ireland include Clancy, NorDan Vinduer, Peppard Investments Limited, John Sisk & Son Ltd, Xtratherm, Errigal, Arc Engineering Ltd, Vision-Built, John Paul Construction, CarlowBuild, Actavo, Framespace Solutions, ABM Design and Build Ltd, Procon Modular, LMC Group Ltd, Mac Zero Modular Buildings, Hines Ireland, HLM Architects, Saint-Gobain Ireland, Platt Reilly, CPAC Modular, Rothoblaas srl, PETRUF Consulting Structural Engineers, Steelframe (part of Montane Developments) and Visor MMC.

Construction in Ireland, and indeed globally, is in transition at present. Innovation and collaboration will be key to building a more effective and sustainable sector. MMC Ireland as an industry representative body has the ability to collaborate with all key stakeholders and governmental bodies, including the recently established Construction Technology Centre and the MMC Innovation and Demonstration Park.