The potential benefits of volumetric construction include faster builds, improved quality, and reduction in waste.
However, increased transportation costs, structural redundancy, and increased overheads can dilute these benefits, limiting their uptake. Within the Australian construction industry, the bathroom pod is one of the few volumetric assemblies that has become commonplace, and considered an acceptable method of delivering bathrooms in multi-storey buildings.
However, the degree to which manufacturing methodologies have been adopted in the design and delivery of bathroom pods varies.
This project unpicks the complexities of a volumetric construction through the lens of the bathroom pod, examining business models, design approaches, and production strategies.
Researchers on project include: Dr Ivana Kuzmanovska: Dr Lu Aye, Marcel Gono, Dr Felix Hui,
Mohaimeen Islam, Dr Lee-Anne Khor, Enzo Lara-Hamilton, Yimin Li, Dr Xuemei Liu, Dr Duncan Maxwell, Dr Robert Moehler, Prof Tuan Ngo, Mark Romei, Karen Tanfield, Dr Tanja Tyvimaa, Prof Clevo
Wilson & Darcy Zelenko.
Date commenced and duration
July 2021 - September 2022Partners
Industrialisation
- Building Design and DFMA
- Business Model Innovation
- Construction Management
- Platforms and Process
- Supply Chain Management, Logistics
Building Design and DFMA
Projects
#61 Building Productivity – Product, Process, People
Light House Project #13: Mixed Reality Carpentry Demonstration
Light House Project #3: NCHA Independent Living Lab
Light House Project #6: Malvern East Apartment Development
#32 Acoustic flanking performance of mid-rise light gauge steel (LGS) structures
Business Model Innovation
Theme coordinator

Robert Moehler
Projects
#25 Operational Excellence framework of steel fabrication and processing in the OSM and prefabrication sector (Phase 1)
#3 Projects to Platforms: Investigating New Forms of Collaboration – Scoping Study
#31 Demystifying Volumetric Construction: A Study of the Bathroom Pod
#30 Critical Path IMPACT through Productisation
#17 The implication of Industry 4.0 for the construction industry: towards smart prefab
Construction Management
Theme coordinator

Dr Mehrdad Arashpour
Projects
#61 Building Productivity – Product, Process, People
Light House Project #13: Mixed Reality Carpentry Demonstration
#31 Demystifying Volumetric Construction: A Study of the Bathroom Pod
#9 Implementing DfMA and Lean in Construction: Best Practice Guidelines through a Study of Building Services and Structure
Platforms and Process
Theme coordinator

Dr Duncan Maxwell
Projects
#61 Building Productivity – Product, Process, People
Light House Project #6: Malvern East Apartment Development
#38 Victorian Government Digital Build – Translating theory into practice
#25 Operational Excellence framework of steel fabrication and processing in the OSM and prefabrication sector (Phase 1)
#3 Projects to Platforms: Investigating New Forms of Collaboration – Scoping Study
Supply Chain Management, Logistics
Theme coordinator

Dr Wen Li
Projects
#61 Building Productivity – Product, Process, People
#15 Using the Whole Tree for Future Timber-Based Construction – Scoping Study
#25 Operational Excellence framework of steel fabrication and processing in the OSM and prefabrication sector (Phase 1)
#31 Demystifying Volumetric Construction: A Study of the Bathroom Pod
#2 Automated tracking of construction materials for improved supply chain logistics and provenance – Phase 1 Scoping Study
Keywords
- Bathroom pods
- design for manufacturing and assembly
- DfMA
- Modular construction
- Productisation
- Volumetric construction