The new manufacturing business will service Lendlease’s property development pipeline, which is expected to grow in 2016, and provide the company’s customers with high quality, innovative and sustainable products that respond to current, and future, market demand.
The facility will predominantly use engineered timber products, such as cross laminated timber (CLT), which are suitable for some construction activities that currently use concrete, masonry and steel.
Tarun Gupta, Lendlease’s Chief Executive Officer for Property, said: “The manufacturing facility intends to procure CLT from Europe as currently there is no commercially available local supply.”
DesignMake will feature several production lines adaptable to other materials and product solutions such as wall, floor components, and full modular solutions.
Mr Gupta said there is a push in the property industry for safer, more sustainable and more efficient forms of construction.
“Like other sectors, the construction and property industry is changing, mainly driven by technology, urbanisation, the need for greater sustainability and the increasing complexity and size of projects.
“Innovative technologies, such as design for manufacture and assembly, can drive improvements in each of these areas, while delivering a high quality product for the end user.
“With a shift to smart design and advanced manufacturing processes, we are enhancing safety by taking high risk activities into a controlled factory setting, and improving logistics at building sites with fewer vehicles movements and a reduced disruption to surrounding communities.
“With DesignMake, Lendlease is progressing broader business growth opportunities in line with market trends and our capabilities,” said Mr Gupta.
Lendlease’s DesignMake business will be located in Western Sydney and comprise a 15,000 m2 manufacturing facility which will be operational in late 2016.
