Exploring Consumers' Perceptions and Attitudes for Off-Site Manufactured
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EXPLORING CONSUMERS’ PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES FOR OFF-SITE MANUFACTURED HOUSING IN AUSTRALIA Edward Duc B.Arch (UNSW) M. Arch. (UoN) A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. August 2019 This research was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship Statement of Originality I hereby certify that the work embodied in the thesis is my own work, conducted under normal supervision. The thesis contains no material which has been accepted, or is being examined, for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution and, to the best of my knowledge and belief, contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference has been made. I give consent to the final version of my thesis being made available worldwide when deposited in the University’s Digital Repository, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 and any approved embargo. Edward Duc ii Acknowledgements This is a simple thank you to those who have assisted me to reach the completion of what turned out be a long and tortuous journey. Specifically I thank supervisors Dr. Michael Mak, Associate Professor Willy Sher and Professor Peter Davis, librarian Lisa Ogle and staff at the School of Architecture and the Built Environment. Thanks to friends Steve Smith who assisted with formatting Word and Carly Byrne who assisted with graphics. Special thanks to my life partner Kim Hughes who once again never complained. iii Contents Statement of Originality ......................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements .............................................................................................. iii Contents .............................................................................................................. iv Abstract .............................................................................................................. xiv List of Figures .................................................................................................... xvi List of Tables .................................................................................................... xviii List of Appendices ............................................................................................... xx 1. Chapter 1- Introduction .................................................................................. 1 1.1. Background and context ............................................................................ 1 1.1.1. Propositions for consideration in regard to OSM ............................. 4 1.2. Problem statement ..................................................................................... 5 1.3. Research gap and research questions ....................................................... 5 1.3.1. Research questions, aims and objectives ....................................... 6 1.4. Overview of the research methodology ...................................................... 9 1.5. Rationale and significance ....................................................................... 11 1.6. Limitations of the study ............................................................................ 12 2. Chapter 2 – Literature Review ..................................................................... 13 2.1. Introduction .............................................................................................. 13 2.2. Background to the research ..................................................................... 14 2.3. The current state of the housing construction industry ............................. 15 2.3.1. Background issues for the construction industry ........................... 16 2.3.1.1. Australian housing supply ...................................................... 17 2.3.2. Ongoing problems for a viable Australian construction industry .... 18 2.3.2.1. Shortages of skills .................................................................. 19 2.3.2.2. Poor productivity in the industry ............................................. 20 2.3.2.3. Housing costs ......................................................................... 21 2.3.2.4. Waste in construction ............................................................. 23 2.3.2.5. Reluctance of the construction industry to change ................. 25 2.4. Off-site manufacture (OSM) of housing .................................................... 26 iv 2.4.1. Definitions of OSM of housing ....................................................... 26 2.4.2. History of OSM housing (prefabrication) ........................................ 28 2.4.2.1. First examples of OSM ........................................................... 30 2.4.2.2. Mass production ..................................................................... 31 2.4.2.3. Modern OSM of housing, post-world war 2 ............................ 33 2.4.2.4. Further historical examples of prefabricated housing systems 35 2.4.2.5. Current status and technologies ............................................. 36 2.4.2.6. Example of an OSM hybrid house manufacture and assembly 40 2.4.2.7. Overview of OSM housing production internationally ............. 47 2.4.2.8. Overview of OSM detached housing in Australia ................... 48 2.4.3. Aspects of OSM for time, cost and quality ..................................... 50 2.4.3.1. Manufacturing and economies of scale .................................. 50 2.4.3.2. Balancing environmental performance ................................... 51 2.4.3.3. Occupational health and safety .............................................. 51 2.4.3.4. Skills availability ..................................................................... 52 2.4.3.5. Industry reluctance for OSM housing ..................................... 52 2.4.3.6. Finance for the purchase of housing ...................................... 53 2.4.3.7. Regulations for housing .......................................................... 53 2.4.4. Producing viable housing: comparison between off-site and on-site systems for time, cost and quality ................................................................ 54 2.4.5. Time comparison of various systems for production of housing .... 57 2.4.6. Consumers’ perception of OSM housing ....................................... 59 2.4.7. Housing issues of supply and demand .......................................... 59 2.4.7.1. Housing and path dependence .............................................. 60 2.4.7.2. OSM housing and consumer acceptance ............................... 61 2.4.8. Consumer perceptions and attitudes for housing .......................... 62 2.4.8.1. P1 Perceptions of quality ........................................................ 63 2.4.8.2. P2 Knowledge/understanding................................................. 63 2.4.8.3. P3 Sustainable housing and sustainability ............................. 64 v 2.4.8.4. P4 Customisation ................................................................... 64 2.4.8.5. P5 Style/lifestyle ..................................................................... 64 2.4.8.6. P6 Financial............................................................................ 65 2.4.9. Conceptual framework ................................................................... 65 2.5. Summary .................................................................................................. 67 3. Chapter 3 – Methodology ............................................................................ 69 3.1. Introduction .............................................................................................. 69 3.2. The rationale for the research approach .................................................. 70 3.2.1. Qualitative methodologies ............................................................. 71 3.2.2. Qualitative research genres ........................................................... 72 3.2.3. Strengths and weaknesses of the phenomenological method ....... 74 3.2.4. Phenomenological research for this study ..................................... 74 3.2.5. Rationale for the use of semi-structured interviews ....................... 75 3.2.6. The research sample and selection of participants ....................... 76 3.2.7. The research design; an overview ................................................. 79 3.2.7.1. Literature review ..................................................................... 79 3.2.7.2. Confirmation of the research proposal and ethics consent ..... 79 3.2.8. The Theory of Perceived Risk ....................................................... 80 3.2.8.1. The nature of the Theory of Perceived Risk (TPR) ................. 80 3.2.8.2. Characteristics of perceived risk theory .................................. 81 3.2.9. Use of the Theory of Perceived Risk ............................................. 84 3.2.9.1. Perceptions as a source of data ............................................. 86 3.3. Design of the interview questions ............................................................. 87 3.3.1. Rationale for the development of the interview questions ............. 87 3.4. Interviews ................................................................................................. 91 3.4.1. Interview format ............................................................................. 96 3.4.2. Interview execution