Accelerating home manufacturing

Facit Homes have developed a new industrial strategy in home construction; by bringing technology and advanced manufacturing to the construction site, they are transforming traditional construction practices to produce climate positive homes with precision and certainty.

Facit Homes’ focus on the application of digital manufacturing systems offer fundamentally different outcomes for the future of house building.

The challenge: a housing crisis

The construction industry is currently going through a crisis. The need for new homes has never been greater, with a labour skills shortage and a growing emphasis on sustainable practice and  energy consumption, pressure has been mounting to find alternative modern methods of construction (MMC). Facit has met this challenge by asking the question. “What if we re-think the way we build homes?”

The solution

Facit conceive their homes as single reconfigurable products, with a full stack approach to the design, fabrication and construction. Every iteration of a component, and each generation of home is an improvement on the previous; they take a data driven design approach – with feedback in real time to measure all metrics and performance.

With a platform that has unlimited architectural design possibilities, and a greater speed to deploy and build, Facit offer their customers a viable alternative solution to volumetric modular and panelized construction to meet the needs of developers tackling the challenges to build more homes. 

Innovation partnership

To take our on-site manufacturing capabilities to an industrial scale we turned to Tharsus.
They share our philosophy and their multi-disciplinary approach to problem-solving manufacturing challenges is similar to the way we work.

As our innovation partner, Tharsus had a clear strategy and process in order to understand our business needs beyond scaling our manufacturing. Crucially they were eager to come with us on the journey as we scale and grow, unmistakable evidence that they are willing to work with companies that are disrupting the market and support innovation more widely.

Their track record of facilitating new ventures like ‘Ocado’s Smart Platform’ automated warehouse also demonstrated what can be achieved by reimagining processes with new technologies.

Shared values

At the core of Tharsus’ decision to partner with Facit lies the recognition that Facit is a values-driven business and shares a natural inclination for collaboration, much akin to Tharsus.  Approaching our partnership with Facit, we invested time to truly understand their business, recognizing that this understanding would be crucial for our collaboration. Through this process, we gained insights into the intricacies of the home construction industry, pinpointing areas where technology could bring significant value.

Some other key factors played into our decision to partner with Facit too:

A proven track record

It was evident that Facit’s core vision had been proven through many years of successful individual housing projects. Their vision had evolved and through scalability, it was applicable to the entire housing development market, promising positive impacts for both the housing market and homeowners.

An incremental approach that delivers commercial value

By providing strategic guidance and enhancing commercial clarity, our goal is to assist Facit in refining their approach. Together, we’ve developed a customized technology roadmap, consisting of swift, incremental steps aimed at delivering tangible commercial value — at every milestone. This staged, incremental strategy not only mitigates risk but also fosters clarity, leading to accelerated speed to market and revenue generation.

A commitment to technology-driven innovation

The Facit-Tharsus partnership is rooted in a shared commitment to technology-driven innovation.   Together, we’re focused on unlocking new opportunities and driving efficiencies in the house building industry. This collaboration represents a compelling example of how technology can reshape traditional industries. By merging Tharsus’ expertise in technology innovation with Facit’s vision for revolutionizing house building, we’re unlocking new possibilities and setting the stage for future growth. Consequently, through collaboration, strategic alignment, and a dedication to innovation, we’re setting a new precedent for how technology can transform even the most entrenched industries.

Innovative construction technology

Critical to Facit’s success is their unique on-site manufacturing system – the Facit Mobile MicroFactory. The Mobile MicroFactory (MMF) is deployed straight onto the building site – it’s key function is in the fabrication of the parts which are then assembled into components – forming the timber super-chassis of the home. Through R&D and a clear technology strategy together we have optimized our MicroFactory with greater automation, introduced thermal printing technologies, material exchanges and integrated waste management. The new innovations ensure that we have a far greater capacity to deliver over 80 low carbon homes per year – per machine.

Offering a different vision to large, centralized factories with static production lines – the lower capital expenditure needed for each Mobile MicroFactory means it’s a much more agile solution with fabrication on demand.

The manufacturing techniques we deploy directly to the building site will position us with a competitive advantage, attracting investment and returns as we venture into new markets.

Facit has already begun to partner with developers who align with their vision to build better through initial consultations, design, and cost analysis on a number of regeneration schemes throughout the UK.

A partnership that unlocks innovative construction technology

As an innovation partner to Facit, Tharsus is committed to continually enhancing Facit’s operations and offerings through ongoing collaboration and feedback.  By identifying opportunities for increased efficiency, process enhancements, and the development of new products, we help ensure Facit remains at the forefront of technology and innovation, sustaining its competitive edge and upholding its position as a trailblazer in redefining the house building industry.

A partnership built on the power of a collaborative philosophy

For Tharsus, collaboration is more than just a buzzword; it’s a fundamental principle that forms the foundation of the Facit-Tharsus partnership. From our regular meetings to our integrated project teams, Tharsus works closely with the Facit team, jointly pursuing our shared objectives. By fostering an atmosphere of open communication, trust, and transparency, we endeavor to cultivate a culture of collaboration, that not only fuels innovations but also propels Facit toward continued success.

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Facit Homes

Facit Homes have a new industrial strategy to redefine the future of home construction.  Their mission is to create inspired sustainable communities for the future, by changing the way that homes are designed, manufactured, and delivered.

Facit takes a holistic full-stack approach to design, fabrication and build. With an award-winning track record of over 16 years in the custom build market their next venture is to transform 21st century home construction, manufacturing mass housing at scale for developers.

Founded by Bruce Bell in 2007 his background in architecture and industrial design led him to the intersections of digital design, construction and architecture. Frustrated with outdated and fractured methods in the construction industry he set up Facit Homes to develop a new industrial strategy to manufacture homes as a complete end-to-end system and product.