Pattern books and house types

01One design, several factories

A house type drawn around one manufacturer's system ties you to that manufacturer. We design pattern books that do not depend on a particular system, so manufacturers across modern methods of construction can bid for the same homes. More than one firm can price each site, and if one pulls out, the others can still build it. You keep control of quality and appearance, while manufacturers can still bring their own input at procurement.

02What goes in the book

• Layouts and sections for each house type
• Coordinated key interfaces for volumetric delivery
• Configurations that suit urban, suburban and rural sites
• Where the range is modular, a kit of module types that combine into the house and flat types

03Tested before planning

We check module sizes against what can travel by road, spans against the systems, and which features suit a factory and which do not. That happens before planning, when a change is a line in the meeting notes rather than a redesign at Stage 4. When a site comes forward, the house types go into the planning application and then into technical design or DfMA drawings for the factory that wins the work.

For a manufacturer, a pattern book is a clear set of homes to price against, with room to suggest changes that suit its line.