In today’s construction landscape, speed, efficiency, and precision are more important than ever. Developers, architects, and contractors face increasing pressure to deliver projects on time, on budget, and without compromising quality. At Clark Pacific, we’ve developed a unique approach—Design for Manufacturing, Logistics, and Assembly (DfMLA)—that goes beyond traditional design practices to optimize every stage of the construction process.
Unlike the industry standard Design for Manufacturing (DfM), DfMLA considers not only how a building is designed but also how it will be fabricated, transported, and assembled on-site. This holistic perspective allows us to control the entire prefabrication cycle, integrating manufacturing logistics and assembly considerations into every project from the very beginning.
What is DfMLA?
DfMLA is more than a methodology—it’s a mindset. It’s about designing components in a way that anticipates the realities of production, delivery, and on-site construction. By factoring in manufacturing capabilities, transportation logistics, and assembly sequencing early in the design phase, DfMLA minimizes risk, reduces waste, and ensures that projects are completed efficiently and predictably.
This approach is particularly critical for large-scale prefabricated projects, where minor miscalculations in transport or assembly can have cascading effects on the schedule, budget, and quality. At Clark Pacific, DfMLA allows our teams to streamline complex processes and maintain control over every stage of the construction lifecycle.
Why DfMLA Matters
For Clark Pacific, DfMLA is not just about design; it’s about ensuring every project is built efficiently, safely, and predictably from start to finish. By considering manufacturing, logistics, and assembly early in the process, we reduce risk, accelerate schedules, and deliver consistently high-quality results.
Streamlined Manufacturing
Components are designed for efficient fabrication in controlled factory environments, reducing errors and material waste while ensuring high-quality finishes. This precision is critical for projects ranging from large-scale facades to multi-story structural panels.
Optimized Logistics
Transportation planning is considered early, addressing weight, dimensions, and handling requirements. This reduces delivery challenges, minimizes on-site complications, and keeps projects on schedule.
Efficient On-Site Assembly
Components designed with assembly in mind allow for faster, safer, and more predictable installation. Even projects with tight timelines or complex geometries can be built efficiently, making on-site construction smoother and more predictable
Accelerated Timelines and Cost Certainty
By thinking through manufacturing, logistics, and assembly together, Clark Pacific can reduce on-site labor, compress schedules, and mitigate budget risks. Projects move faster with fewer surprises, delivering predictable outcomes for clients
As Clark Pacific Project Executive Loehl O’Brien explains:
“When you are designing for the work, you’re not only designing the final project, but you’re also designing how you’re going to build it. You’re decomplexing the work and taking labor off-site, which makes a crucial difference.”
Clark Pacific’s DfMLA Approach
At Clark Pacific, DfMLA is embedded into our project workflow from day one:
- Collaborative Planning: Our engineers, designers, and project managers work closely with clients to evaluate design feasibility in the context of manufacturing, transportation, and installation.
- Standardized yet Flexible Solutions: We create components that are standardized for efficiency but flexible enough to meet unique architectural visions.
- On-Site Coordination: By anticipating assembly challenges, our teams ensure projects are delivered seamlessly from factory to final installation, reducing delays and cost overruns.
Real- World Impact of DfMLA
Projects that embrace DfMLA benefit from accelerated schedules, enhanced quality, and reduced risk. For example, our 1-million-square-foot prefabricated data center was completed in just 10 months—a feat only achievable through the full integration of manufacturing, logistics, and assembly planning. This project exemplifies how Clark Pacific’s DfMLA approach transforms ambitious designs into reality, delivering complex buildings faster and more efficiently than traditional methods.
Other Clark Pacific projects, including large-scale façade installations and high-rise structural panels, have seen similar benefits. Prefabricated components designed with DfMLA principles have enabled installation weeks ahead of schedule, demonstrating the consistent value of integrating manufacturing and assembly considerations into every stage of construction.
Conclusion
DfMLA demonstrates how thoughtful integration of design, manufacturing, logistics, and assembly can transform the construction process. By planning for fabrication, transportation, and installation from the earliest stages, Clark Pacific has been able to deliver projects with greater efficiency, higher quality, and fewer surprises. From high-rise facades to large-scale data centers, these principles show that anticipating challenges before they occur is key to successful, predictable, and sustainable construction.
