Modular Prefab Design Lab (MPD-Lab)
Two major challenges of the built environment today are rapid urbanisation and the need for sustainable development. In order to address these two major issues, there is a growing interest in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry in developing design practices for methods that allow for greater efficiency and precision, are environmentally responsible, make better use of resources and workforce, and provide shorter construction cycles to obtain efficiency from large scale mass produced buildings. Modular construction through manufacturing prefabricated systems is one solution for the construction industry that has long been criticised for shortcomings in efficiency, quality, affordability, sustainability and socio-environmental responsiveness.
Modular prefabricated systems are proving, increasingly, to be a viable and effective approach that can offer significant construction time and energy efficiency, lower life cycle costs, greater quality control in a closely supervised environment, and reduced waste. Application of such efficient construction methods can also address the existing gap between demand and supply for housing worldwide.
Our research program aims to remove major roadblocks preventing widespread application of modular prefabricated systems in construction and transformation to advanced building manufacturing technologies in Australia and beyond. MPD-Lab conducts leading-edge research that focuses on design of modular and prefab construction engineering technologies/systems, and provides advanced numerical, analytical and experimental services. As well as being available for advanced research work, MPD-Lab is also available for consulting and teaching activities and services relating to the area of modular prefab construction.
MPD-Lab works in collaboration with other partners in academia, industry and government. Please feel free to get in touch, if you are interested in pursuing collaboration or consulting services.
Dr. Pejman Sharafi
Lecturer in Structures
Associate HDR Director
Research interests include: structural optimisation, advanced structural systems, modular buildings, prefabricated construction systems, cost optimisation of structures, sustainable structures, computer aided design and parametric design.
