While not as widespread as other trends on this list, prefab/ modular construction is certainly on the industry’s radar. By manufacturing and assembling project components off site and attaching them to the development on site, the technique is seen as a way to reduce costs, control quality and facilitate project scheduling. “Everyone is always striving to do things faster and for lower costs, but still maintain quality. So being able to do things in a controlled environment as opposed to being at the whim of an open site makes complete sense,” says Peter Grose, President and CEO with Westland Construction Ltd., which is building The McMillan in Winnipeg’s Crescentwood neighbourhood using prefabricated structural wall panels. INNOVATION PREFAB/MODULAR CONSTRUCTION 4 For now, prefab/modular construction is being applied to individual components of a building (e.g. HVAC systems) and not complete sections of a project itself. As the technology evolves, however, Grose sees it becoming a more common practice: “We’ve seen technology and innovation lead to improvements in various elements of construction, and those same technologies will also lead the way for prefab construction. Moving ahead, I’m sure we’ll see more of this trend.” 24 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SCAFFOLD INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF CANADA