Award Winning Open Source Kit of Parts (OSKOP) System

Last year OSKOP won the Product Innovation category at the Structural Timber Awards!

Poynton Bradbury Architects, alongside designers and other consultants, has been actively involved in developing the Open Source Kit of Parts (OSKOP) system. Recently, contributors to this pioneering platform-based construction system received over a dozen handcrafted, personal awards in recognition of their efforts.

Established by a dedicated working group, OSKOP offers a cost driven, compliant, and flexible solution for constructing safer schools and public buildings. It integrates seamlessly with traditional procurement processes while providing local panelized manufacturers with open access to free-to-use data and rigorous compliance testing—resources that are often out of reach and unaffordable for many regional suppliers employing local people.

As the adoption of Modern Methods of Construction grows, OSKOP’s open-source approach ensures:

• Compliance with industry codes and regulations. By ensuring complete transparency in component testing and compliance, OSKOP mitigates insurance risks while aligning with evolving regulatory frameworks.

• Alignment with sustainability and circular economy principles. Prefabricated components minimise construction waste and improve carbon footprint tracking. Use of recyclable materials, with consideration for ease of deconstruction and reuse at the end of life.

• The LETI Climate Emergency Design Guide provides a breakdown of embodied carbon in schools by building element. It shows that approximately 30% of a new-build school’s embodied carbon impact is attributed to the building superstructure. In recent projects, OSKOP has reduced this impact by more than half, without affecting costs.

• Improved accessibility and competitiveness in the supply chain. Open-source structures allow for informed material selection, continuous testing, and industry-wide collaboration. Allowing flexibility in supply chain management reduces risks associated with supplier changes.

By integrating transparency, flexibility, and compliance, OSKOP is setting a new standard for safer, more sustainable school and public buildings in the UK.

If you are a timber frame manufacturer, designer, or other interested party seeking low embodied carbon data and protection against combustibility, we invite you to get in touch.

Your input can contribute to the development of OSKOP and the Open Source initiative in the South West.