A newly formed construction joint venture is targeting faster, more affordable apartment delivery through large-scale offsite manufacturing, with a Western Australian facility set to anchor early production before national expansion.
Built Group has entered a 50:50 joint venture with Wesfarmers to establish Built Living, an offsite manufacturing business aimed at accelerating apartment delivery and reducing construction costs at scale.
Built Living will focus on Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA), producing modular and precast components through advanced manufacturing to streamline Australia’s residential construction supply chain.
The joint venture follows nearly two years of global research by Built, which identified DfMA as a proven approach in markets such as the Netherlands, Germany and Finland. International examples indicate the method can deliver apartments at around 20 per cent lower cost and up to 50 per cent faster than traditional construction.
Built Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Marco Rossi, said the model draws on established global practices.
“We spent almost two years searching globally for solutions that genuinely work,” Rossi said.
“Across the world’s leading apartment markets, offsite manufacturing of high-quality construction elements is delivered at scale. Built Living brings this best practice to Australia, strengthened by Built’s AI enabled digital product capability, on which we have spent $100 million in development.”
Wesfarmers Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Rob Scott, said the partnership is positioned to support housing delivery.
“Australia urgently needs more housing, and the Built Living joint venture is well positioned to address that using internationally proven construction models, delivering high quality properties,” Scott said.
“Addressing Australia’s housing shortage will take real collaboration across industry and government, and we are pleased to be part of a partnership that can help make a meaningful difference.”
The Western Australian Government is supporting the venture through a long-term land lease at the Neerabup Automation and Robotics Precinct, north of Perth.
The Neerabup facility is expected to produce more than 2,000 apartments per year, providing industrial-scale capability to support Built Living’s residential pipeline and third-party developments. A portion of this capacity will be allocated to government-backed housing projects and social infrastructure.
Construction and procurement of specialised manufacturing equipment is expected to begin in the second half of 2026, with initial production targeted for early 2028, subject to approvals.
Property developer Adrian Fini will take a direct equity stake in the Neerabup facility, supporting long-term pipeline certainty and associated developments.
Built Living will operate as a standalone business with its own board and management team, with representation from both partners. Dale Connor has been appointed Chief Executive Officer and will lead the establishment and scaling of the manufacturing platform.
The business will deliver its own projects and partner with landowners and governments, including supporting social and affordable housing programs.
Built Living is expected to expand nationally over time, with Western Australia serving as the initial base for growth.
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