By Jack Smith, Founder & MD of JSJ UK
A three-metre-long piece of bespoke joinery can look perfect in a 3D model. But if nobody has considered how it will get from the loading area to its final position, the design has a problem.
What looks right on screen does not always account for how something will actually be manufactured, transported and installed.
I started my career more than 15 years ago as a joinery manufacturing apprentice. Today, I run JSJ UK, an award-winning company where our team of 26 delivers complex joinery projects for household names nationwide.
That progression has given me a clear understanding of how decisions made during design translate onto the factory floor and, ultimately, onto site.
With bespoke joinery, the challenge is rarely the overall concept. It is usually in the detail and the interfaces, where joinery meets walls, ceilings, floors, M&E or other finishes.
Where designs meet reality
A digital model cannot always account for building tolerances, material limitations, fixing methods, access, movement between different materials or the practicalities of installation.
We regularly see discrepancies between drawings and actual site conditions, clashes with services or existing structures, unsuitable material specifications and details that cannot be manufactured or installed as drawn.
The problem is that these issues become significantly more expensive once production has started.
At that point, the consequences can include wasted materials, remanufacturing, additional labour, aborted installation visits and delays to follow-on trades. The cost is rarely limited to the joinery itself.
This is why I believe specialist manufacturers should be involved once the design intent has been established, but before every detail has been fully agreed.
That is when manufacturing expertise can add the most value. There is still time to consider materials, construction methods, tolerances, interfaces, sequencing and installation before decisions become difficult or expensive to change.
Make the right decisions before manufacture
Early involvement gives everyone more options.
A substrate may need to change, a joint position could be altered, a tolerance introduced or the assembly method changed. These decisions may be invisible in the finished product, but they can make a significant difference to how efficiently it is manufactured and installed.
The key is understanding what the designer is trying to achieve.
Manufacturing input should support the design intent and find the most practical route to delivering it.
Material specification is also an important part of that conversation. Different materials and construction methods can affect cost, durability, appearance and manufacturability. Discussing those considerations early gives the project team an opportunity to make informed choices before a specification becomes difficult to change.
There is also a clear distinction between value engineering at design stage and trying to reduce costs once a project is already in production.
Early collaboration creates far more opportunity to explore alternatives without compromising the intended outcome.
Get the survey right
In bespoke manufacturing, we can be working to millimetre tolerances while the building around us may still be under construction or may not have been built to the same level of accuracy.
An accurate survey gives us the reality of the site. Detailed manufacturing drawings then allow the team to agree how the joinery responds to that reality before anything reaches the factory floor.
This is particularly important on complex commercial interiors, where a small discrepancy can have a knock-on effect across several trades.
Getting the technical information right early can also reduce unnecessary site visits. If information is properly coordinated, there is less need to return simply to measure, clarify or resolve something that could have been addressed earlier.
Keep everyone aligned
Communication is what connects the process.
Drawings can contain a huge amount of information, but sometimes a ten-minute conversation between the designer, main contractor and subcontractor can resolve something that might otherwise generate several drawing revisions or RFIs.
Regular coordination is particularly important where multiple trades are involved. Everyone needs to understand the programme, final specification, interfaces and expectations before manufacture begins.
There is also an important commercial conversation that needs to happen early.
Sometimes an end user has been presented with a detailed design vision and invested significantly in developing that design, only for the available project budget not to cover everything shown.
If that gap is not communicated clearly, it can create confusion over what has actually been allowed for.
That needs to be addressed during subcontractor onboarding and early engagement so expectations, specification and budget are understood by everyone before manufacture begins.
Closing the gap
Closing the design gap comes down to three things: understanding the interfaces, considering how the joinery will actually be manufactured and installed, and involving the subcontractor early enough to contribute practical knowledge.
The objective should be to resolve problems digitally and on paper wherever possible, rather than waiting for them to appear on site.
Good design deserves good delivery.
Bringing manufacturing experience into the conversation early gives the whole project team a better opportunity to protect the design intent, make informed decisions, control avoidable costs and deliver what was originally envisaged.