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From 24% to 30% – Prefab Is Growing in Europe, Just Not Fast Enough
Specialist construction research agency, USP, has published the latest edition of its European Architectural Barometer.
The commentary for the quarterly report, which surveys architects across the UK and Europe, says, “… prefab has been the next big thing in construction for over a decade now. Look back to the early 2010s, you’d find it up there with other structural shifts – like digitalization and sustainability – being pitched as a universal fix. On paper, the logic was sound and optimistic; move work off-site, standardize production, get more done with fewer people and that’s that. Except things haven’t exactly played out that way. Adoption has moved, yes, but at a slow pace. Slower than expected, and nowhere near fast enough to keep up with the pressure the industry is under”.
In terms of statistics, the report finds that for “…. architects, prefab usage has gone from 24% in 2018 to 30% in 2025, with expectations calling 39% by 2030. Undisputable growth… but stretched out over more than ten years, it’s less aggressive than projected”. It also finds that, for contractors, things are less convincing. Prefab usage sat at 32% in 2018, then dropped to 24% in 2024 and has only recovered to 27% in 2025. The expectation for 2030 is 35%.
The full commentary looks at the subject in more detail and considers points such as: what’s being built off-site; why things aren’t moving faster; productivity gains; the sector’s outlook to 2030; and more. Read it here.
