Is modular construction the answer to the housing crisis? It’s simple to scream Modernise or Die at an industry looking for innovation and an alternative path. But we have to accept that construction is struggling from a multitude of macro-economic, financial, political and regulatory forces that are putting it in a headlock and hampering progress. It’s difficult to modernise when you’re on the ropes and struggling for breath.

Look, for example, at the boom in smart phones to witness that for every entrepreneurial genius, such as Steve Jobs, there’s a job centre’s worth of “me too” flops who have lost their shirts along the way. 

The one thing you can say with certainty about modular housing is that it’s complex to get right and costs money you might not have. Aside from getting the technology and logistics correct, there is an investment involved which comes with its own risk. And how do you market it? 

Today’s innovators, investors and hipsters point to market conditions being perfect for a disruptive investment in the housing sector

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