High Rise – Going up, Residential or Commercial

The pipeline of high-rise buildings across the UK remains strong, with around 549 in the development pipeline, of which around 58% are in London, although projects in London account for more than three quarters of total pipeline value.

The construction of high-rise buildings has increased considerably in recent years, with a rise in both the number and height of buildings being constructed. Across the UK at July 2021 there are 1,277 existing high-rise buildings and structures that are at least 50m tall and 266 that are at least 75m tall, the vast majority of which are in London, while other key locations include Birmingham and Manchester. The UK has just 31 high-rise buildings over 150m high, although almost half of these have been completed since 2018, and just one building – The Shard in London over 300m.

Unlike other international cities, London is considered ‘low-rise’ for a global city and financial capital of the world, with the pace of high-rise development way behind other global cities. However, in recent years, there has been an increase in the number of high-rise buildings proposed and approved for construction in London and across many of the UK’s major cities.

Uncertainties surrounding the outcome of ‘Brexit’ had contributed to a slowdown of speculative new office building in recent years but industry sources suggest that investor confidence remains high in the London office market, for which there are proposals for a many high-profile high-rise schemes The City and Canary Wharf.

In both the UK and across the world, there has been a big rise in the number of residential towers as well as a significant increase in mixed-use towers. Just 15 years ago, towers were predominantly built for the commercial office market; they now make up just 3% of projects in the current development pipeline.

Alex Blagden, Research Analyst at AMA Research comments “historically, high-rise construction had been driven by demand for offices in The City of London, London Docklands and central Manchester. Since 2010, however, there had been a marked shift towards high-residential schemes, mainly driven by speculative investment in luxury apartment towers in Central London and Docklands. However, since the UK’s departure from the EU, growth in overseas investment in private ownership of luxury apartments has slowed. In recent years, there has been a marked increase in the development of high-rise residential towers in the larger northern cities and Birmingham, largely driven by investment in private rental and student accommodation schemes. Over the medium term, high-rise construction will become more spread out across the UK. While London, Manchester, Salford and Birmingham will still be important locations of high-rise construction, other cities are emerging as major centres of high-rise building activity – especially Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow and Sheffield.”

By end-use, 78% of high-rise buildings in the UK pipeline (having started construction in 2021 or under consideration) are residential-led. By contrast, the percentage of high-rise buildings now being built for commercial office use is declining. It was previously estimated that 23% of existing high-rise buildings have been designed for office use, but across the UK, only 15% of high-rise completions between 2016 and 2020 were offices, a figure that falls to 11% for buildings in the pipeline. High-rise commercial office buildings are largely concentrated in city centres. Key growth areas within the residential market are the private rental sector (including build-to-rent) and student accommodation, with demand driven by shortage of capacity in affordable privately rented homes and in student housing in London.

 

 

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MMC, the importance of a systematic approach to fire safety

Much debate continues over Modern Methods of Construction. Though modular, off-site builds can result in significant savings to costs and time, many in the fire industry remain concerned that fire safety standards and quality compartmentation methods are left as an afterthought in the process.

Ian King, Chief Commercial Officer, Zeroignition, looks at the benefits of modern methods of construction and how the solutions offered by adopting an off-site approach can be applied to fire protection and safety under a competent, holistic approach.

The recent Building Safety Bill is an essential step towards making homes safer for all. The construction industry shoulders a great deal of responsibility when it comes to the safety of the built environment, so the importance of making fundamental changes to methods of working is immeasurable.

Since the Grenfell tragedy in 2017, the building industry has been working hard behind the scenes to tighten up processes, with new regulations acting as powerful drivers for positive change and innovation.

The addition of meaningful sanctions will act as a powerful deterrent to those few companies who haven’t prioritised safety, and instead remain focused on delivering bigger, quicker and cheaper builds. This approach can result in mistakes being made and sometimes corners being cut, all of which have the potential to cost lives.

The benefits of modular construction

In a typical year, over 200,000 homes are built in the UK, around 15,000 of which are modular. With fewer lorry deliveries driving to and from the building site, modular buildings have a lower carbon footprint than more traditional building methods. Nearby residents can also benefit – being exposed to less noise and pollution. Efficiency is greatly improved – the whole off-site construction process can be completed in roughly half the time of a traditional build, which can have a big impact on a housebuilder’s bottom line

“It’s clear, however, for a system-led approach to fire protection to really work, it is essential that knowledge across the industry is robust and in line with current regulations.”

One of the greatest benefits of modular construction is that it allows for the standardisation of housing design, which makes production quicker, shortening the overall construction journey. Quality control should also be considered – within a ‘factory’ type environment, greater safety checks can be made and monitored, ensuring components and build quality meet acceptable levels of industry standards and performance.

By introducing quality checks and tests during component assembly in the factory setting, it’s easier to develop and implement industry-standard certifications. In turn, this can help raise the bar of the finished product, in all elements of assembly.

When materials are then taken to the construction site for installation, a qualified workforce can execute the final build with greater ease, having up-to-date knowledge of the products and the building as a complete “system”.

This approach can be adopted for fire protection design.

A critical system

A system-led fire protection design method involves checking that the specified components work both individually and holistically. System components will generally include:

  • Active fire protection – measures triggering a response, such as sprinkler systems and smoke alarms
  • Passive fire protection – measures to slow down or contain fire, such as fire doors and fire-retardant materials

A system-led approach can combine compartmentation – for example, with fire doors, sprinkler systems and FR-rated OSB boards. An assessment can take place where each component can be assessed for its individual performance, as well as how it works in combination with other components.

It’s clear, however, for a system-led approach to fire protection to really work, it is essential that knowledge across the industry is robust and in line with current regulations.

Improving fire protection awareness

Fire safety regulations are notoriously complex and require an in-depth understanding. Research we conducted across the UK, Germany and France in the wake of the Grenfell disaster revealed that knowledge levels surrounding fire and fire protection amongst some of our most trained professionals in architecture, was worryingly low.

Across the three countries, just 3% of architects were able to correctly define the four basic fire protection terms: active fire protection, passive fire protection, fire resistance and reaction to fire.

A mere 2% of the architects interviewed said they’d received comprehensive fire protection training. Whilst most agreed that they had had some sort of training, less than one in ten (8%) said they’ve never had fire protection training. Our findings came as an industry-wide shock and highlighted the clear need for re-education in order to improve expertise and understanding when it comes to fire basics.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, it has been reported that nearly half the British workforce (49%) were intent on investing time to actively further their learning around fire safety.

NBS (formerly National Building Specification) says it saw a dramatic increase in webinar attendance during this time, as more people were working from home and had time to spare without having to spend time out of the office travelling. Eager participants included product manufacturers, as well as architects and specifiers. The online webinars covered a variety of different topics including fire safety.

Modernising traditional approaches

Construction projects are multifaceted and involve various decisions. Each choice has a knock-on effect and there can be unforeseen results when a systematic approach to fire protection isn’t adopted.

While many construction industry professionals understand that this approach works best, there’s still more to be done by manufacturers and architectural bodies to ensure that best practice is fully established and followed.

Modern methods of construction has the ability to appear the obvious solution for future progress unbeatable on paper. However, the systematic approach still stands here, and if not used properly, problems with the build can and will still arise. In some cases, safety oversights have caused the loss of entire buildings. This is why a proactive drive towards increasing the competency and training of all those involved in the building process from architect, designers, installers, and other industry professionals must be seen as essential if standards are to improve.

It’s important that we view buildings holistically, assessing the structure as a whole, rather than in individual stages to ensure that MMC is used as intended and to reduce the risk of fire and improve safety for the end user.

Beyond this, the construction industry needs to learn from other industries, such as automotive and aviation, which focus on a checklist approach to reduce harm to passengers. If people rely on memory, mistakes happen, and the simple action of checking off points can stop fire planning elements being missed. The digital ‘revolution’ that the construction industry is currently experiencing can create ‘digital footprints’ that prove the right building criteria has been adhered to. This will become essential if we’re to successfully implement watertight fire safety checks before it’s handed over to the occupant or end user.

It is encouraging to see the industry come together to propel fire safety up the agenda. The new building safety regulations set to come into effect next month (August 2021) will go a long way to improving current standards. Coupled with keen interest from industry professionals to learn more and improve their knowledge and put safety front of mind, it will be a joint effort that will deliver industry best practice. Manufacturers are also investing heavily in R&D projects, which will help bolster fire safety awareness in construction and provide added protection. After all, it is only when fire protection is taken with seriousness it demands, that we can start looking at new approaches to construction which reinforce a building’s role to keep people safe and secure.

The industry needs to keep engaging in the positive changes which are starting to emerge. I am certain that with a culture that’s willing to learn and improve, the sector will begin to adapt and innovate further. Ensuring that we can demonstrate that safety and wellbeing is being considered at the heart of the building design, will help improve end-user confidence, which as it stands, has a long journey ahead.

Source: IFSEC GLOBAL

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Combilift’s 60,000th truck delivered

The Irish manufacturer Combilift recently marked a further milestone when its 60,000th unit came off the production lines at the company HQ in Monaghan and was shipped to the other side of the world. The customer taking delivery of this special forklift is Metroll, a leading Australian manufacturer and supplier of steel building products including roofing, cladding, rainwater, structural and fencing.

Metroll has branches across the country, and the new Combi-CB3000 will be a further addition to its fleet of 13 Combilifts that are operating throughout the Metroll Group, with another 10 already on order. These range from 3t multidirectional units to a highly customised 10t model.

Combilift number 60,000 will be working at the site in Toowoomba and has been fitted with features such as 4.9m triplex mast with a 3050mm spreader to safely and easily manage the long loads that are typically handled by Metroll.

 

 

According to Metroll Operations Manager Vic Josephs “Like most businesses we are very busy and we’re also growing at a significant rate, so space has become a premium resource. With this unit we can utilise our space more efficiently whilst at the same time operating safely. Safety is of paramount importance. This forklift allows our machinery to get into tighter spaces and for us to space our racks more closely together to maximise factory floor space.”

Combilift CEO and Co-Founder Martin McVicar commented: “This is a great achievement for Combilift, particularly as almost every truck we manufacture is a one-off, designed for specific and individual requirements. There are very few other companies, if any, that can offer this level of customisation whilst manufacturing in such volume. The first half of this year has been by far the best in our 23 year history for the number of orders we have received – not just for Combi-CB models but across our complete product range.”

Chris Littlewood, Country Manager of Combilift Australia said: “The Combi-CB 3t model is the most popular unit in the Australian market and accounted for 50% of the machines we sold in the year ending March 2021. So we are particularly pleased that it is one of our customers in this country that has been able to receive this landmark machine.”

Following the successful collaboration with Metroll in Australia, Combilift now also supplies its trucks to the company’s Californian based operations too. “We have often found that a recommendation from one country leads to sites elsewhere adopting the same material handling processes with our products,” said Martin McVicar. “So we’d like to congratulate Metroll on taking delivery of our 60,000th truck, and thank them for their continued support over the years.”

 

www.combilift.com/60000

https://www.metroll.com.au/

 

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Glodon Gsite now available in UK & Ireland

 Offering accurate, timely and flexible information management of construction projects

 

The construction management software Gsite by Glodon is now available for the UK and Irish markets through MagiCAD Group. The  platform enables online management of construction site tasks as well as quality and safety issues, document management, BIM, workflows and much more. Glodon Gsite has already been used in more than 30,000 building projects globally in small and large-scale projects.

Glodon Gsite Offering online management of construction site data providing project participants with immediate access to information, such as documents, safety issues, and scheduled activities. As digital solutions have begun transforming construction sites, Gsite introduces more efficient processes and improves collaboration and communication possibilities.

“Developed with construction project teams in mind, Gsite enables them to quickly get started without any previous experience of software and hardware usage”, says Tom Young, Director for Construction Solutions at MagiCAD Group. “In addition, MagiCAD Group offers a generous and well-thought service plan to make sure that the UK customers have the best quality of service we’re known for.”

Gsite is a single source of truth for managing  construction projects. The software provides automatically generated statistics and data from construction projects and enables users to keep track of project events, issues, and overall progress. All project information is stored online and can be accessed on-site or remotely through an application that supports multiple mobile devices.

“A centralized approach to construction site management enables project participants to easily remain in control of tasks and issues and to respond quickly”, explains Young.

Gsite saves time in administration, as information can be updated and recorded on-site. Tracking site data also enables improved visibility into project overhead costs, which are otherwise hard to follow accurately.

Gsite can be used by contractors and construction companies of any type and by  on-site personnel, as well as project management and senior managers.

For more information on Gsite, CLICK HERE

 

About MagiCAD Group

MagiCAD Group specialises in Building Information Modelling software and services. Our team of passionate software professionals provides customers with intelligent solutions that make daily engineering, design and planning work easier, faster and more profitable. Our products are used by thousands of companies in over 80 countries around the world. MagiCAD is headquartered in Turku, Finland and is part of Glodon Group.

About Glodon Group

Established in 1998, Glodon is one of the world’s leading digital building platform providers offering products and services that cover the entire life cycle of buildings. With more than 7,000 employees and 60 branches around the world, it provides services to over 800,000 enterprise customers in over 100 countries and regions reaching 20 million professional engineers and managers globally.

 

 

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SIKA ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF NEW ONLINE KNOWLEDGE CENTRE

Global building product manufacturer, Sika, has launched an eLearning platform, the Knowledge Centre, allowing construction specialists to expand their skills and keep up to date on the very latest developments, innovations and regulatory requirements relating to a wide range of construction materials, all available from an easy to navigate, intuitive online platform.

 

The Sika Knowledge Centre comprises a series of online learning modules and resources. Sika has created the content by utilising its vast global experience and expertise, working across a range of application areas, from roofing and waterproofing to concrete repairs, flooring and sealing and bonding.

 

Users simply register on the Knowledge Centre platform and then have access to a series of different modules, relating to various products and sectors. Modules are categorised under different product groups to enable the user to personalise the experience to their areas of interest. As modules are completed, the user’s profile is updated accordingly, providing a record of their ongoing learning.

 

Each module has been written by technically competent teams within Sika. These concise yet thorough learning and training experiences focus on not only what Sika can offer, but also industry standards, regulations and best practice information, to provide a comprehensive learning resource for a wide range of industry professionals.

 

Industry professionals will be able to access a range of live and on-demand webinars and training presentations, e-learning modules, how-to videos, and hybrid training across roofing, flooring, waterproofing, refurbishment and concrete repairs.

 

Modules available at the launch include among others: Total Corrosion Management, Fibre Reinforced Concrete, Fully Bonded Waterproofing Membranes, Pushing the Envelope – High Rise and Facades.  Further modules will be added month by month, providing professionals with an invaluable learning resource that stays constantly up to date with a changing and evolving industry.

 

 “We are delighted to offer the construction industry the ability to expand their knowledge through these well-designed training experiences,” said Cheryl Douglas, Head of Marketing at Sika Limited. “For professionals wanting to know more, and stay up to date, Sika’s new Knowledge Centre will help them to develop a practical understanding of our range of construction products and systems.”

 

Accessible from anywhere and on any device, the Sika Knowledge Centre offers a seamless learning experience, as it combines various methods of learning on one accessible platform.

 

For more information, visit https://gbr.knowledge.sika.com/

 

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Polypipe is number one at Old Trafford

Polypipe Building Services, the UK’s leading developer of water management solutions for the commercial sector, provided an array of key services for Aberla M&E on a luxurious new development in Manchester.

The £72m No1 Old Trafford development consists of two towers, 15 and 18 storeys, across 214,000 sq ft on the waterfront at Trafford Park.

The area around the site is already extensively developed so space was at a premium for Aberla M&E, who decided to use Polypipe’s Advantage service.

Polypipe Advantage offsite fabrication service brings together manufacturing process, project management and logistics methods to provide M&E contractors with a production-based approach that helps to achieve project productivity targets.

Using the Advantage service, Aberla opted for three Polypipe products: Terrain FUZE, Terrain PVC and MecFlow.

 

 

The building program required a fast and reliable install to which MecFlow supports due to the innovative CLICKWELD technology that combines all the benefits of an electrofusion weld with clip connections to reduce on-site installation time.

MecFlow components are supplied to the project site as a complete kit for quick assembly and connected in position. The use of clip connections removes the need for clamping and allows for repositioning before the final welding is applied.

Terrain FUZE is manufactured from high density polyethylene (HDPE) so has strong abrasion, chemical and temperature resistance. HDPE was specifically used in the in lower levels to avoid the risk of leaks with homogenous welding in the commercial and communal spaces such as the reception area.

 

www.polypipe.com

 

 

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High-performing finishes for a sleek design

There is a huge selection of external cladding and finishes available for MMC projects. Popular choices include timber paneling, brick slips and renders, and a wide variety of laminates and melamines. However, each product type has different performance ratings and requirements for installation and for long-term maintenance. It is important to understand this when specifying a product.

 

In recent years we have noticed a big shift in what people are looking for. Traditional cladding styles are being replaced by more contemporary options and there is greater focus on longevity, maintenance and ease of installation. With that in mind, we are always updating our range to offer more choice, in line with the latest technologies and manufacturing techniques.

Factory-made cladding panels, sheets and strips offer the precision sizing and finish that are required for volumetric and offsite construction. Available pre-cut and ready to install, there is no additional finishing required to complete the installation.

As a prefabricated product it is easy to scale up or down, whether delivering a large-scale development in sectors as diverse as education, healthcare, and retail, or individual units for leisure accommodation, such as chalets or cabins.

Panels offer the stability, predictability and consistency necessary for repeatable, accurate modular construction. Depending on the project requirements, installation can be carried out on location or within the factory before the panels or structures are shipped to the construction site. By choosing materials carefully, maintenance and cleaning is much more straightforward, keeping the outside of the building looking great, long into the future.

Ou broad range of external cladding products are available for delivery from your local Lathams depot. We can deliver straight to site or to factory for installation onto panels or pods before construction. It means that you do not have to take up valuable space in the factory with materials but can order when you are ready for the final touches. And, by working with our dedicated product managers, you can ensure that you get the right cladding to meet the requirements of your project.

 

Visit our website for more information about our full cladding range or contact our depots direct to get advice from our expert team.

www.lathamtimber.co.uk/products/cladding

 

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Strategic Partners

Precast & Preformed Troughs & Fibrelite’s ‘Made to Measure’ GRP Trough Covers

Composite access cover manufacturer Fibrelite has formed strategic partnerships with a number of major manufacturers of precast and preformed troughs (also known as trenches, channels and ducts) in Europe and the USA (including Fibex and Trenwa) to create new collaborative product offerings integrating Fibrelite covers and precast and preformed troughs, combining the strength and longevity of precast and preformed troughs with the easy, safe manual removal and durability of Fibrelite’s lightweight composite covers.

Health and safety issues surrounding manual handling are of paramount importance to site managers. Without the necessary provision of dedicated lifting apparatus and training for operatives, traditional concrete and steel trough access covers can be a concern due to their sheer weight. Concrete slab covers can weigh as much as five times the weight of an equivalent size Fibrelite GRP composite trough cover.
Fibrelite covers have an industry leading strength-to-weight ratio and are designed to be safely and easily removed by two people, using the Fibrelite FL7 ergonomically designed lifting handles.

Driven by focusses on health and safety, weight, durability (no corrosion) and reduced installation time, GRP composite access covers have moved from being a niche product used on petrol station forecourts to being specified at the outset of new build and retrofit projects for some of the world’s most prestigious brands in technology, data centres, ports, airports, high-tech manufacturing facilities, utilities, infrastructure and many more.

“In recent years, the demand for highly customisable, high-tech access covering solutions has grown exponentially, and we’re proud of the part we’ve played in their adoption over the 40 years since we invented the world’s first. Since then, we’ve continually innovated, focussing on creating solutions to industry and customer challenges.” Commented Ian Thompson, Fibrelite’s Managing Director EMEA “Partnering with precast and preformed trough/trench manufacturers was a logical next step, and I’m proud to say that, since we created our first partnership offering with Trenwa in 2014 we now have over 50 kilometres of our covers installed in precast and preformed troughs across the globe”

David Holmes, Fibrelite’s Technical Director added “We work closely with architects, contractors, and end users from tender stage right the way through to delivery and even installation where required. This collaborative process ensures that the supplied product fulfils both product quality demands and strict project completion deadlines. Fibrelite covers can be custom designed and manufactured with dimensions matched precisely to specified trough opening/rebate dimensions (Fibrelite’s adjustable tooling allows covers to be manufactured within millimetres of a clients requirement)”

Recent Installation: New Build Data Centre, Northern Europe

Some clients favour a complete GRP solution for both troughs and covers. Where appropriate, this can further reduce installation costs and time due to their reduced weight for transit and installation. Earlier this year, Fibrelite engineered and manufactured 550 metres of custom trough covers for a new build data centre in Northern Europe. These GRP preformed troughs were supplied with custom fit Fibrelite bolt-down covers, for added security.

 

Recent Installation: Cruise Ship Terminal, UK
Fibrelite custom engineered and manufactured 500 metres of F900 (90-tonne) load rated GRP trough covers to fit precast concrete troughs at a UK cruise ship terminal. The stepped covers were supplied in a number of customised sizes to fit the trough configuration. The F900 load rated covers were stepped to reduce the unit weight in compliance with the customer’s specified manual handling limit.

 

www.fibrelite.com/mmc

 

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Wernick Showcase fully fitted out demo ward at factory

Wernick Buildings’ factory in Port Talbot welcomed visitors to receive a demonstration of their latest modular building system; HMflex. The four-bed hospital ward allowed visitors to experience the same high-quality environment that healthcare professionals and patients would receive.

A result of meetings over several years, NHS Improvement approached the MPBA (Modular and Portable Building Association) and some of its members (including Wernick) to explore the possibility of creating standardised, modular units which could be more easily deployed at scale within healthcare settings. The result was HMflex, a modular building system designed specifically to meet the spatial and technical requirements of NHS wards, providing ward and clinical spaces via standardised layouts.
HMflex is specifically designed to offer a fast-paced, quality solution to fit the needs and requirements of the healthcare sector: the system delivers a fully fitted, compliant four-bed ward with just two building modules. This means that a four-bed ward can be delivered, installed and ready for fit-out in as little as 24 hours. Designed with scalability in mind, extra storeys can also be added later with ease.

Andy King, Deputy Managing Director of Wernick Buildings, commented: “The whole offsite construction industry has been receiving more attention over the last few years due to press and public interest, and healthcare has been a big sector. One of the key benefits, particularly in light of the increased pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic, is speed: this is where the standardised HMflex will have a major impact.”

Working with NHS trusts and fire engineers, the entire exterior envelope of the building system was designed and tested to meet all of Part B non-combustible building regulations. For ease of maintenance and improved performance, at design stage clients can specify which items they want incorporated into the standard design. These include doors, IPS, plumbing and electrics.  Full bed and passenger lifts are easily incorporated into the modular design, and specialist areas like operating theatres, MRI functions and pathology units can also be catered to. The completed building is both HTN and HBN compliant.

Andy continued, “We can bring the benefits of offsite construction to facilities as complex as inpatient wards and operating theatres. This is all achieved while maintaining compliance throughout. The HMflex ward block is the first of what we hope will be a series of standardised solutions that will support the NHS in meeting pressures moving forwards.”

Visitors who came to experience the demonstration building included local senior politicians such as Stephen Kinnock, Member of Parliament for Aberavon, Edward Latham, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, and local AM David Rees.

Commenting on the unit, Aberavon MP, Stephen Kinnock, said: “I was honoured to be able to see first-hand the incredible hi-tech work of one of Port Talbot’s major employers. It is fantastic that our constituency is home to such well-established firms leading the way on the national stage. I was also thrilled to hear about Wernick’s plans for expansion and the long-term career opportunities companies like theirs are providing for the people of our community.”
Proving the flexibility of the building system, the demonstration ward was disassembled in July and relocated to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, where the two building modules form part of a new 72-bed ward building.

Established in 1934, Wernick are proud to be the most established modular building provider in the UK, with decades of experience providing clients with high quality buildings over almost any sector.

www.wernick.co.uk

 

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Totally Modular Secure Contract with Citizen for Multiple Developments

Totally Modular Secure Contract with Citizen for Multiple Developments Following Award Winning Pilot Scheme Success

Following the success of their award-winning pilot scheme development in Littlethorpe, Coventry delivered by Totally Modular for Citizen, the two companies have entered into contract for a second time, this time for a series of developments across a number of sites in Coventry. The homes will range from one-bedroom bungalows to four-bedroom homes. The developments are situated at current garage infill sites, which are located throughout Coventry, West Midlands on existing brownfield land.

The partnership is looking to replicate their success with these new homes, as the pilot scheme achieved a multitude of accolades, with the most impressive being the ‘Constructing Excellence Midlands – Offsite Award’.

The journey of the partnership started through Citizen recognising the impact on surrounding communities in developing these difficult, small infill sites, so the decision was made to explore modular construction options, as they were not commercially viable for traditional development. A partnership was then formed with local housing manufacturer Totally Modular, as they can access land and re-purpose existing smaller brownfield sites that traditional builds would find difficult or too expensive to navigate, therefore unlocking new land adds huge value to the offer.

Totally Modular are supplying these homes as a full turnkey solution, with the aim being to transform the currently redundant infill sites, suffering from blight, into a variety of highly energy efficient, attractive homes. The developments across Coventry, will consist of a variety of Totally Modular house types to cater for a range of residents in need. These architypes have been designed for the purposes of standardization, so that these house types can be rolled out to wherever the demand is needed.
The new homes will be manufactured within Totally Modular’s factory based in the West Midlands, on a production line and start as a robust hybrid steel frame and achieve a build status of up to 95% completion before they are delivered less than forty minutes to site. They are expected to exceed building regulations therefore providing higher quality solutions with lower risk and greater speed, cost-effectiveness and consistency.

 

Managing Director of Totally Modular, John Connolly commented on the announcement by saying…
“We are extremely pleased to be given this opportunity to work alongside Citizen again after our initial successful pilot scheme. As with all trials there are lessons to be learnt and our collective aim is to implement the take outs from that scheme to ensure both Citizen and the residents benefit from best available technology with regard to both environmental and energy performance.
With the direction of travel for UK housing delivery being net zero carbon, Totally Modular and Citizen are playing their part in ensuring the assets delivered today are future proofed for the city and residents of Coventry.”
Executive Director of Development, Nick Byrne at Citizen, also commented…
“It’s fantastic we are extending our modular housing pilot. It allows us to to proceed with our ambitions to deliver modular construction homes on some of the most difficult sites to develop and replicate the quality standards of our homes at Littlethorpe.
These new schemes will have a positive impact on the current issues around temporary housing and offer future customers a home which is a foundation for life. The homes will be offered at affordable rent so will be very attractive to families living in Coventry.”

The scheme at Littlethorpe achieved an A-rated Energy Performance Certificate, which means this type of development is in the top one percent when compared to energy-efficiency standards measured nationally. It also achieved actual running costs of £1.48 a day for a 3-bedroom home with five occupants.
Nick added Citizen is also looking to replicate this success in the new developments.

He said: “The energy efficiency we are achieving in these homes is in line with the Government’s “Future Homes Standard” which is not due to be introduced until 2025 and also our current Development Strategy.”
“We have decided to extend the pilot, so we can show further the benefits of modular construction especially on sites which are former garage sites. This means a reduction in the impact on residents due to the homes being manufactured in a factory which minimises the construction on site.”

www.totallymodular.co.uk

 

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