Advancing DfMA in Australia: An Interview with Systemised Design Group

Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) has emerged as a powerful approach to improving construction efficiency, quality, and sustainability. While adoption in Australia has been slower compared to other regions, companies like Systemised Design Group are working to change that narrative. In this Q&A, a Chartered Professional Structural Engineer and Director of Systemised Design Group shares insights from his career journey, the evolution of DfMA locally, and its potential to reshape the housing sector and address affordability.

Can you share some insights into your career journey and what led you to specialize in Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA)?

I am a Chartered Professional Structural Engineer and have been practicing DfMA for the past 10 years.

The first project that introduced me to DfMA was a four-storey apartment building in 2015. The aim was to reduce the construction program by manufacturing the modules off-site while the basement was being excavated. To ensure accuracy, a trial assembly was conducted in the factory carpark before the modules were enclosed.

The modules were stacked in less than two days—and I was instantly hooked. I also loved the refinement in design and close collaboration with the manufacturer, which solved construction issues during the design phase. I’m still working with the same team on new projects a decade later.

How has the concept of DfMA evolved in Australia over the past decade, and what role has Systemised Design Group played in this evolution?

DfMA has evolved slowly in Australia due to a lack of understanding and knowledge sharing. Many manufacturers have set up in-house design teams, but this has often limited innovation and kept most modular buildings confined to single or double-storey forms.

True DfMA requires collaboration—not just coordination. Collaboration means all parties working together simultaneously (designers, manufacturers, logistics, and assembly teams), whereas coordination often results in back-and-forth inefficiency.

At Systemised Design Group, we’ve contributed to this evolution by:

Sharing knowledge at industry events like prefabAUS and university lectures.
Publishing articles and insights to highlight the benefits of DfMA.
Demonstrating measurable advantages over traditional construction, including fewer errors, reduced costs, and shorter timelines.

Your company focuses on multi-storey building projects. What attracted you to applying DfMA principles in the housing sector, and what specific advantages does it offer?

We need more housing and for construction costs to stabilise. Traditional methods are not delivering the quantity, quality, or cost certainty required.

In multi-storey apartments, floor plans above level one are often repeated, naturally lending themselves to standardised framing, modular layouts, and prefabrication. By refining these systems, DfMA reduces waste, increases efficiency, shortens programs, and improves return on investment.

This approach is key to delivering more affordable, higher-quality housing at scale.

From a design perspective, what do you see as the key benefits of using DfMA in multi-storey housing?

Cost and efficiency: Six storeys of housing on one site uses a sixth of the land of six detached homes, reducing roofs, footings, and driveways while minimising sprawl.
Adaptability: Buildings can use standardised construction systems but still adapt to site context, neighbourhood character, and environmental constraints.
Sustainability: DfMA combined with lean manufacturing reduces waste and energy. Documenting for disassembly (DfMA-D) supports lifecycle carbon assessments and net-zero goals.
Predictability: Costs and construction programs become more reliable, reducing financial risk.

With DfMA gaining momentum, where do you see the future of this approach in Australia’s construction industry?

Over the next 5–10 years, I believe traditional construction will increasingly be seen as old-fashioned, slow, and expensive, while MMC (Modern Methods of Construction) gains traction.

The housing demand in Australia cannot be met with traditional methods alone. Progressive companies will adopt MMC for competitive advantage, gaining greater control and predictability.

Key trends I expect include:

Greater funding preference for MMC projects, like the recent PrefabAUS and CBA announcement.
Training for architects, engineers, and certifiers to focus on collaboration, not just coordination.
Increased use of AI, parametric, and generative design to accelerate design options.
Growth in digital libraries and 4D/5D modelling.
Rising competition from international MMC firms, pushing local companies to improve capacity and supply chain resilience.

Can you talk about a project where Systemised Design Group successfully utilised DfMA techniques?

We consulted on two new buildings in the same city—one seven storeys, the other five—both designed in mass timber.

We developed conceptual block-and-stack models to standardise grids, floor-to-floor heights, and reduce complex cantilevers. While some consultants hesitated to commit to concept framing early, the DfMA approach streamlined member sizing and reduced ambiguity, freeing up the architects to focus on bespoke elements.

The feedback was clear: DfMA provided guardrails that supported better collaboration, predictability, and design efficiency.

Finally, how can DfMA help address the housing affordability crisis in Australia, and what role do you envision for your company?

Housing affordability can only be addressed by improving productivity to:

Lower construction costs.
Increase the number of homes delivered annually.

DfMA achieves this by:

Standardising framing systems.
Reducing complexity in layouts and techniques.
Documenting consistent connections for faster, error-free assembly.
Using standard industry grids to minimise waste.
Supporting safer practices via off-site fabrication.
Generating data benchmarks for cost and schedule predictability.

At Systemised Design Group, we are committed to knowledge-sharing, advocacy, and practical application of DfMA to accelerate Australia’s housing delivery and improve affordability.