How JA Brooks merges a century of craft with cutting-edge modular technology
With strong foundations in plumbing, JA Brooks specialises in delivering high-standard solutions at the right time. Today, the company is making its mark on iconic buildings and developments by providing innovative, custom-built, efficient, and durable systems that solve problems and enhance comfort. JA Brooks designs, engineers and builds solutions that offer both efficiency and comfort. At the same time, the company is dedicated to nurturing relationships and strives to foster long-term connections that strengthen over time. Although its journey began in London, the company has since expanded its reach across the southeast and is now making strides in Europe. Matthew Towner, Managing Director, recounts JA Brooks’ history and evolution.
“Approaching its 100th anniversary, the business was founded in 1925 by Jimmy Brooks, the original owner. Jimmy focused on public health in the City of London, working under the Corporation of London to fix leaks using a handcart. This initiative evolved during and after the war into a larger public health enterprise that employed people and undertook increasingly larger projects throughout London. In the 1960s, under the next generation of the Brooks family, the organisation began to expand alongside its influence within the public health sector. JA Brooks established apprenticeships and played a key role in establishing committees and regulations around public health during the 1960s and 1970s. For several decades, the business continued to operate as a family-owned entity, navigating the fluctuations of the construction industry with varying revenue and influence. This journey culminated in 2016 when Danny Robson took over the business and started establishing it as a mechanical and public health contractor. Since 2016, the business has focused on design for manufacture and installation, including off-site modularisation and fabrication. We have integrated digital tools and established processes similar to lean manufacturing techniques, allowing us to grow and evolve in a more controlled manner,” he begins.
Embracing this modular approach has proved to be incredibly beneficial for JA Brooks and its customers, as Matthew explains. “By designing and building components off-site, we can deliver them more efficiently on-site, thereby enhancing our operational efficiency, speeding up timelines, and creating a safer working environment within factories and facilities. Implementing modular installations significantly reduces waste during the installation process, leading to improved quality outcomes and a reduced net carbon footprint. Instead of relying on numerous suppliers to deliver various materials to the site, we streamline deliveries to a single facility where components are assembled into modules. This results in consolidated deliveries, reducing time spent on-site, minimising risks, and enhancing safety. Clients particularly appreciate the improvements to their programme and schedule, which is crucial for project success. Over the past five years, this evolution has led us to focus extensively on the technology sector, particularly mission-critical data centres. We have also been able to expand our reach into Europe, including Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the UK,” he enlightens.
Data centres represent a major growth sector for JA Brooks, exemplified by a significant project completed last year in London Docklands, which Matthew tells us more about. “Due to confidentiality agreements, I cannot disclose the project name, but it involved a multi-storey live data centre facility that was undergoing substantial refurbishment. We essentially upgraded all the core infrastructure while keeping the centre operational. This was notably challenging from a logistics standpoint as there were severe limitations on the movement of people and materials within the building. Additionally, the city centre location posed its own challenges, as many data centres are typically situated in out-of-town brownfield or greenfield sites, which are generally easier to service logistically. Despite these hurdles, it was a brilliant project, challenging yet rewarding. Completing such projects brings joy and a strong sense of camaraderie among the wider project team.”
Next, we learn more about some of the technologies and innovations JA Brooks has implemented to enhance its modular construction operations. “We have three off-site manufacturing facilities in Colchester named Pod One, Pod Two, and Pod Three. And we’ve onboarded our common data environment (CDE), Autodesk Construction Cloud, as our primary software platform. This integrates with a bespoke fabrication software package, which interfaces seamlessly with Autodesk Construction Cloud and Autodesk Revit to enable ‘live’ reporting on production metrics alongside digital assurance documentation. All our modelling is conducted in Autodesk Revit by our in-house Building Information Modelling (BIM) teams, under the supervision of our head of DfMI Paul Latford, based at Pod One, allowing us to manage quality assurance processes throughout the project lifecycle while retaining data within the model. For instance, when we produce construction
drawings for a specific area or project, we simultaneously develop a key spool plan for the pipework. Each piece of pipe that needs to be welded for the module is individually tagged within the BIM system and assigned its own code, which automatically transfers to a screen at the welding bay. This enables the welder to proceed with the job and check it off on the screen. Quality assurance is overseen by one of the managers at the facility, who signs off on the work. This information is then transferred back into the BIM model, ensuring that the initial quality assurance sheet is retained throughout the entire process until the module is completed. This provides ‘real-time’ asset tagging as the project evolves.
“The module will then undergo an overall quality assurance inspection by one of the managers who subsequently generates a QR code that gets printed and affixed to the module. This QR code is scanned on delivery to the field, ensuring safe loading and process automation through our software. The production team, led by Production Manager Adam Robson, monitors everything via a large dashboard displayed on a big screen for each project. For instance, if five modules have just passed inspection, the dashboard indicates their status. When these modules arrive on-site and are offloaded, the QR code is scanned again, updating the system via the cloud. This real-time data allows Adam to see that the modules are on-site as they are installed. Typically, a final quality assurance inspection is conducted on-site with both the client and the professional team. Once this is completed and approved, the system updates the dashboard to reflect that the modules have been manufactured, delivered, and signed off. All retained data is stored in our CDE on Autodesk Construction Cloud, which is incredibly useful when handing a project over. Given the large volume of documentation involved, having a well-structured file system ready to go makes the process much simpler. While it is not without challenges, managing this documentation is far easier than it was a decade ago,” Matthew ends.
JA Brooks’ century-long legacy, rooted in plumbing and public health, has transformed it into an industry-leading provider of modular building solutions. By embracing digital tools, lean manufacturing techniques, and a collaborative approach, the company has established itself as a trusted partner for numerous significant projects, particularly in the data centre sector. With a strong commitment to quality, efficiency, and sustainability, JA Brooks has successfully expanded its reach across Europe, solidifying its reputation as an innovator in the construction industry. As it approaches its 100th anniversary, the company is well-positioned to continue its trajectory of growth and excellence.