Hill Partnerships

The week long programme, organised by Adrian Blumenthal and Henry Loo, included visits to the top contractors in Japan, site tours and a fascinating expedition to Toyota Homes in Nagoya. the metal-framed pre-fab modules or "units" are 85% completed before they leave the factory. After transportation to the assembly site, a dozen or so units are stacked like Lego blocks to achieve the desired living space – which is well designed and more flexible than might be imagined. A "smart key" similar to the car key you don't need to take out of your pocket to unlock your Toyota opens and closes the front door. A mechanism for reducing engine noise and tremors is installed under the floor to quiet upstairs shakes. Car paint-job skills deliver even scratch-resistant coating on walls. The cubicles called units vary in size, with the bigger ones measuring 20 feet long. An average Japanese home requires 12 units. A buyer chooses from several designs, ranging from sleek modern to standard fare with tiled roofing and balcony windows. Individual homeowners visit "housing parks" in Japan, where Toyota and rival homebuilders have set up model homes. Customers place orders by mixing and matching layout, interiors and material to meet their needs.

The group saw at first hand the approach the Japanese have taken to incorporating lean philosophies into the construction industry; improving lead time, driving down costs and eliminating waste. Companies throughout the supply chain work closely together.
Sara Garnham said, “We will be discussing the ideas that we have seen here – and will be feeding them into our thinking in the UK via our continuous improvement programme.”