Meet the Latest Timber Frame Manufacturer to Make Use of MMC for Building Excellence in the Irish Market – Both Sides of the Border
Established in 2015, FastHouse designs, manufactures, and assembles a variety of timber frame panel systems for residential and commercial projects. After serving the UK and the Republic of Ireland for more than a decade, FastHouse has now established a production facility in Co. Monaghan. How has this new Irish timber frame home manufacturer maximised the output of its production and onsite teams?
In the modern construction market, offsite manufacturing has made timber frame building simpler, with contractors purchasing ‘kits’ of timber frame panel systems for assembly onsite. However, not all timber frame kits are alike. Experts in offsite timber frame manufacturing place that extra emphasis on quality and sustainability – and skilled construction teams, from design to production to installation, all feed into that quality.
Meet FastHouse. The timber frame manufacturer from Northern Ireland has now expanded to the Republic, after serving the market here for years, with the acquisition of the Co. Monaghan-based Century manufacturing facility from Kingspan. After closing the deal in April, FastHouse doubled its production capacity to 3,000 homes per year and increased its workforce to 380+ construction professionals on both sides of the border. This includes a digital design team, general operatives and production supervisors in charge of manufacturing the timber frame systems, and onsite assembly and installation crews.
In the acquisition of Century, FastHouse was able to hold onto much of its staff ‘on the ground’ in Monaghan, retaining decades of experience in timber frame manufacturing. This has made the transition into operating a new production facility seamless – and meant no drop in quality or output of FastHouse’s open, closed, and hybrid panelised systems.
Gerard Clarke, Senior Business Development Manager at FastHouse, sees the company’s continued expansion as an opportunity to increase manufacturing capacity while maintaining its commitment to quality, innovation and investment in people.
“Modern timber frame construction is about much more than manufacturing panels. It combines innovative design, precision engineering, and efficient onsite installation to deliver high-quality homes consistently and at scale. At FastHouse, we continually invest in our people, processes and technology to improve quality and efficiency. This includes developing innovative installation and levelling solutions, alongside our interlocking wall-panel system, which simplifies onsite assembly and improves consistency.”
Senior Business Development Manager at FastHouse
He added that:
“These innovations are supported by skilled production teams in the factory, and experienced carpenters and Constuction Supervisors onsite, all working together to ensure quality throughout the manufacturing and installation process.”
Senior Business Development Manager at FastHouse
As members of the Irish Timber Frame Manufacturers Association (ITFMA), FastHouse supports the continued development of modern timber frame construction and the skills required to deliver it.
The company places strong emphasis on workforce development through structured training, practical experience and cross-skilling across its manufacturing operations. This approach helps employees develop a broader understanding of the production process while maintaining the specialist expertise required at each stage.
Investment in skills extends beyond the factory floor to FastHouse’s design, technical and management teams, ensuring the business continues to adapt to evolving industry needs.
Gerard is a Certified Passive House Designer, accredited by the Passive House Institute, reflecting the company’s commitment to technical knowledge and sustainable construction.
“Understanding the challenges facing architects, engineers and energy consultants allows us to collaborate more effectively and develop practical solutions that balance energy efficiency, embodied carbon and buildability. Delivering more homes efficiently and sustainably requires continued investment in innovation, modern manufacturing and, importantly, the people who make it possible.”
Senior Business Development Manager at FastHouse
Denise Torrens, Manufacturing Management Accountant at FastHouse, is another example of the business' approach to transferring skills across multiple areas. She occupies a unique role at the intersection of cost management, procurement, and process improvement, ensuring FastHouse is operating to its best ability. This involves the obligations already mentioned, as well as coordinating weekly meetings with the digital design team; production supervisors; and procurement, logistics, and material managers.
This model has served FastHouse well as a timber frame house manufacturer in Northern Ireland before, and has become a totem of operations in the Co. Monaghan facility.
When asked about the seemingly unique nature of her role, Denise emphasised its importance in driving constant business improvement:
“When you break it down, all production improvements are about cost. Can we produce at a higher quality, more productivity, more sustainability (or whatever your end goal is) without impacting the bottom line negatively. That’s why the cross-disciplinary meetings make sense, and that’s why having a dedicated person focused on process improvement with expertise in managing costs and procurement makes sense.”
Manufacturing Management Accountant at FastHouse
Denise comes into the role with, as her title suggests, chartership as an accountant. She has previous experience working in an industrial environment after years of experience working with tyre manufacturer Michelin. It was here Denise completed an in-house qualification in industrial manufacturing excellence and gained broader exposure to Lean business principles. This fed her change in thinking about finance as the ultimate beginning and ending factor for all production process improvements.
After years with Michelin, Denise was offered a role at FastHouse that, while initially blending elements of manufacturing oversight, has since involved into something more complex. Denise’s role is now dependent on her working across a range of different skills and disciplines to help FastHouse continue to evolve as the construction market changes.
When asked about the advice she would give to finance professionals with no experience in the building industry about embracing Modern Methods of Construction, Denise said:
“To succeed, you need to be able to adapt to different situations and tap into different skills. Learn the process and then question the process with a manufacturing mindset to improve productivity and reduce waste. No two days should be the same for you as you try to identify ways to improve that process.”
Manufacturing Management Accountant at FastHouse
FastHouse is focusing the lens on its innovative manufacturing process with a tour of their production facility in Co. Monaghan on Thursday 5 November. A part of Skillnet MMC Accelerate’s series of Business Support Events, attendees will get the chance to see how FastHouse produces its open, closed, and hybrid panelised timber systems and hear from regional leaders in Modern Methods of Construction. Speakers include Gerard Clarke from FastHouse and the Director of the ITFMA, as well as a panel in industry experts.
“Timber frame is the original form of Modern Methods of Construction and where we are today is as a result of decades of long hard work. We work in an industry environment that we, together, continue to grow organically over years. Events like this Business Support Event will help the industry continue to progress too.”
Director of the Irish Timber Frame Manufacturers' Association
Express your interest now in the FastHouse facility tour on Thursday 5 November.
