NET ZERO IN OPERATION

Sheffield’s first ‘net zero in operation’ Council homes lifted into position

Over three days in August 2023, Sheffield’s first ‘net zero in operation’ council homes were safely lifted into position at the Duffield Place site in Woodseats.

Before being transported to site, the homes were built in a quality-controlled UK factory using a light gauge steel frame – a type of construction known as ‘volumetric off-site’ or ‘modular’.

Sheffield City Council is working with ZEDPODS Ltd to deliver six self-contained single person, high-quality homes. They have been built using ZEDPODS award winning low energy modular construction system.

The homes were designed by ZEDPODS team of in-house architects, using a ‘fabric-first’ approach – with walls, ceilings, windows, doors and roofs all super-insulated, achieving high levels of air tightness. The homes are all electric, fitted with heat pumps and rooftop mounted solar photovoltaic panels. This ensures that 100% of the in-use carbon emissions are offset, making the homes ‘Net Zero Operational Carbon’. This significantly reduces running costs for residents and contributes to the council’s ambition to reduce its carbon emissions to net zero by 2030. In addition, a whole life cycle carbon assessment is being undertaken to identify all environmental impacts of the scheme over its lifetime.

The on-site works started in March 2023, at the same time the homes were being manufactured off-site. This reduces the construction time by up to 50% compared to a traditional construction project. It also reduces the impact and disruption of construction related activity in the local community. The new homes are expected to be completed during Winter 2023/24.

These homes are being delivered as part of the council’s Stock Increase Programme, with investment from both the council (including from the Local Renewable Energy Fund) and the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

This project also delivers another first for the city – the Council’s first dedicated move-on homes. The homes will be managed by the Council, providing access to both an affordable home and individual support for people who have previously experienced homelessness. This support will help people to successfully move to a permanent home within two to three years.

As part of Changing Futures Sheffield, the Council has received valued input from people with lived experience of housing support services to develop this project.

Chair of Sheffield City Council’s Housing Committee Councillor Douglas Johnson said:

“I am delighted to see the council deliver its first ‘net zero in operation’ council homes – this is an important step for the city as we continue to find ways to address the net zero challenge and reduce the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on our residents. I look forward to visiting the new homes, and I will be particularly keen to talk to residents about their experience of living in these homes”.

“It’s also great to see this project deliver much needed supported housing on a council-owned brownfield site, whilst at the same time retaining and enhancing the adjacent green space through the planting of new trees”.

Tom Northway, Chairman at ZED PODS Ltd said:

“We are delighted to be working in partnership with Sheffield City Council to bring their first modular zero-operation carbon housing scheme into fruition as part of a full turnkey design & build package”.

“These houses will be of the very best design in terms of environmental performance and internal specifications, providing ultra-low energy bills for residents. Our inhouse team have worked closely with the client in every stages – from concept design to planning, from offsite fabrication of modules to training their maintenance team before the modules were brought to the site”.

This will be ZEDPODS’ first project in the City and is a brilliant example of how working with the local community, council officers and supply chain partners we can unlock constrained sites and deliver much needed affordable homes”.

Source: Sheffield City Council

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A Significant Solution to the Housing Crisis

Modular housing has the potential to be a significant part of the solution to the housing crisis for several reasons. Firstly, the energy efficiency of modular homes is a major advantage. Factory engineering in the construction of modular homes allows for high levels of sustainability, resulting in reduced energy consumption. The energy savings offered by modular homes can lead to significant cost reductions for homeowners, making them more affordable to live in. These energy-efficient homes not only benefit the occupants by lowering their energy bills but also contribute to overall environmental sustainability.

Additionally, the adoption of modular housing can enhance productivity and efficiency in the construction industry. Traditional builders have been slow to embrace new construction methods, and the housing industry has been resistant to modernization. However, modular homes offer the potential for increased productivity and streamlined construction processes. By adopting factory-built housing, the construction industry can address the flaws in the housing market and work towards meeting the ambitious targets set by the government for new home construction.

Modular buildings also have a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional builds. The reduced number of deliveries to the construction site leads to fewer emissions and less disturbance and pollution for nearby residents. The environmentally friendly aspects of modular construction, including its lower carbon footprint and reduced waste generation, can drive demand for this construction approach. As residents become more aware of the benefits, they are likely to advocate for modular construction in their neighborhoods, which can encourage local authorities to prioritize the use of modular methods in delivering new homes.

Furthermore, the efficiency of modular home construction is evident in the significant reduction in material waste compared to traditional builds. Research has shown that modular construction generates 90% less material waste, making it a more sustainable option. This reduced waste not only benefits the environment but also contributes to cost savings and more efficient resource utilization.

While there may be some initial challenges and higher construction costs associated with modular housing, such as the need for established builders to adopt these methods, the long-term benefits outweigh the initial investment. The potential to address the housing crisis, achieve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and minimize waste makes modular housing a promising solution for the future.

www.tridentmodular.com

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School Closures May not be due to Modular Construction

The sudden closure of a £29M modular-built school in Essex due to structural issues is unlikely to be an indication of flaws with modular construction, the Modular and Portable Building Association (MPBA) has said.

Only three years on from its completion, Sir Frederick Gibberd College in Harlow announced this week that its main building and sports hall block will be closed with immediate effect. The news came following a report from technical consultants from the Department for Education (DfE) that identified “structural irregularities”.

A statement from the school said:

“In April of this year, the DfE instructed a technical survey of the main school building which raised some queries about the structure. Following further analysis of the survey information, a report and risk assessment on the building structure was delivered to the DfE and shared with the trust late last week. Having regard to the reports received, the DfE is no longer able to verify the structural safety of the building, hence its advice to close.”

Staff and pupils from the school have also told ITV News that there were cracks, flooding and black mould in the school – particularly evident in the sports hall, which was not built modularly.

The school was built by contractor Caledonian Modular in 12 months between March 2020 and March 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

The main school building comprises 198 individual modules that were manufactured in a factory in the Midlands complete with concrete flooring, internal fit out and external cladding.

Watch a timelapse video of its construction:

 

Caledonian Modular, which had a place on the DfE’s £3bn modular framework, went into administration in March 2022 owing £20M to suppliers and clients.

Two Cornwall schools constructed by Caledonian Modular, Launceston Primary Academy and Newquay Primary Academy, were demolished in April this year. Both schools were only partially constructed before “several construction issues” were noticed by the DfE, leading to them being torn down.

Following surveys by the DfE, Haygrove School in Somerset, which was also constructed by Caledonian Modular, has been told that it cannot use its main building until further notice.

Regarding the closure of Sir Frederick Gibberd College, a DfE spokesperson said:

“We recognise that while these are isolated issues, they are very concerning to children and their families. We will be investigating what has happened and continue to work with schools and local authorities to minimise the impact of closures and ensure continuity of education for all pupils.”

DfE declined to share the technical report into the structural issues at Sir Frederick Gibberd College with NCE.

MPBA development director Richard Hipkiss told NCE:

“We don’t know any of the specifics except that it’s structurally unsafe – it could be to do with the construction method, it could be to do with the civils, it could be to do with how it was assembled.”

Nonetheless, Hipkiss placed the blame on Caledonian Modular. “I don’t think this story is a reflection of the construction methodology, but potentially of the constructor,” he said.

He highlighted the fact that the company had not become a member of the MPBA even though it was “approached several times”.

“We have a code of conduct to be a member,” Hipkiss said. “The MPBA promotes best practice, the development of standards, the competence of people. We do scrutinise members, particularly manufacturing members, when they apply – but I can confirm that Caledonian never applied for membership.”

Moreover, Hipkiss believes that the failure of Sir Frederick Gibberd College should not divert the public sector away from modular construction. Since 2021, the government has committed to rebuilding 400 schools around the country, with the latest order of 239 coming in December 2022. Hipkiss believes that modern methods of construction and volumetric modular construction (such as that seen on Sir Frederick Gibberd College) are essential to meet this demand.

He believes that Caledonian Modular’s failures are a “one-off situation” that is unlikely to be repeated. “It’s not a reflection on MPBA membership,” he said. “I could name a dozen of our manufacturers that have been operating successfully without issue since the 1950s.

“There are problems with traditional construction methods every now and again, as with any construction method. There are also many modular schools out there that are award winning and meet the client brief.”

Anglia Ruskin University professor of sustainable construction methods Saul Humphrey says that quality control might have been an issue for Caledonian Modular, particularly pertaining to cash flow issues.

“As with anything that’s innovative or less tested, perhaps with less mature supply chains, quality control is often compounded when there’s an issue regarding cash flow or solvency,” he said. “Knowing what happened next with Caledonian Modular and its insolvency, one wonders if there could have been some link to cash viability and paying of supply chain.”

“Often with these offsite modular businesses, they’ve spent so much setting up offsite factorires that they can’t do enough to recover that capital investment.”

Humphrey believes that the reports of cracks and mould leads to questions of structural integrity in the design, which in turn suggests a systemic failure with the construction company’s methodologies – especially as two of its other schools have also been condemned.

“I think there can sometimes be a focus with 3D modular companies to be very good at building the box but sometimes less experience at connecting modules together in a live site environment and integrating them with the appropriate mechanical and electrical systems, components and structures,” he said. “One wonders if there’s been quite enough time spent on connections, junctions, avoiding interstitial condensation, ensuring the right ventilation strategies.”

He points out the cracks in the sports hall as evidence of the contractor’s inexperience.

“The sports hall was the only part that wasn’t 3D modular, it looks like a gauge steel frame construction, but that also appears to have structural defects,” he said. “Again you’ve got a modular company doing something they may not be particularly experienced in.”

Unlike the MPBA, Humphrey believes that the DfE should take time to reconsider the modular approach to school building.

“I think it should pause, reflect and immediately take expert soundings to find the cause on each of these problems,” he said. “It could just be a Caledonian problem, not a modern methods of construction problem, but equally you couldn’t justify continuing if there is a question over the methodology.

“And just imagine all that embodied carbon sitting in that unused building. In a world facing the reality of climate change, we shouldn’t be building things twice.”

Source: New Civil Engineer

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Maui Wildfire Destruction how Modular Buildings Can Help

Maui Wildfire Burns Down Barriers To Prefab Home Building

Reversing tradition, Hawaii’s most powerful trade union is backing the idea to allow modular homes in Hawaii.

Houses made of pre-cut lumber that can be shipped to Hawaii and built quickly. Permanent modular homes that can be literally plugged into utility infrastructure on prepared sites. Cafes, shops and food courts created out of modified shipping containers.

These are the sorts of things that could help rebuild Lahaina after the devastation of the August 8 wildfires that destroyed approximately 2,200 buildings.

In a departure from a long-standing tradition driven by Hawaii’s powerful construction industry, Governor Josh Green said:

‘Modular and prefabricated housing will play a role in creating homes quickly to serve displaced residents and the state’s most influential construction trade union is in agreement.’

“The answer’s yes,” Green said, when asked whether homes or panels built off-site and even off-island could be part of the mix to rebuild Lahaina.

“I don’t think it’s the answer for all things,” he added. “I don’t think it’s what everybody wants all the time. But I’m sure there are individuals out there now who are suffering terrible loss who would love to have a small house that could be put up quickly.”

Andrew Pereira, director of public affairs for the Pacific Resource Partnership, confirmed the organization is on board. Pereira said:

‘It is vital to build new homes quickly so island residents aren’t forced to leave — and possibly never return — for lack of housing.

PRP’s buy-in is important. The non-profit, which represents the 6,000-member Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters and 240 general contractors, has also been one of Green’s major political supporters.

PRP has long opposed pre-made construction because of concerns developers using the products would undercut Hawaii’s construction industry – one of the few sectors that provides a consistent living wage in an economy dominated by tourism.

Maui’s tragedy has changed everything. We need to get medium-term and longer-term housing for people impacted by the tragedy, we don’t want to see Lahaina residents flee to the mainland, that’s the last thing we want to see.” Said Pereira

Green also feels the Maui fires could mark a new era.

“I think it’s safe and fair to say that because of the crisis in Maui everyone wants whatever solution is available to, as quickly as possible and to build housing that is going to provide dignity to people who live in it, even if it’s just for a couple of years,” he said.

“Whatever way we can do that we should,” he said. “I think this is probably the beginning of an era where we spend some of our energy on modular housing.”

Tom Hardiman, Executive Director of the Modular Home Builders Association and Modular Building Institute in the USA, said:

‘For a long time, homes built off construction sites involved mostly mobile homes, often used as temporary housing, which could be moved from place to place.  Now, the broad category of “off-site construction” includes tiny homes, shipping-container homes and modular houses, which are similar to mobile homes but built to higher standards and designed to be permanent structures. All of these can be built elsewhere and moved to a prepared site.’

There are also pre-cut houses that can be made in a factory elsewhere, sent to Hawaii by shipping container and constructed on site.

A common aspect, Hardiman said, is that there’s a systemic process for constructing buildings and components off site.

Pereira says PRP is looking at the pre-cut home model. A key will be finding partners that can provide enough pre-cut homes to serve Lahaina’s needs.

“It really comes down to a question of scalability,” he said.

Pereira said PRP is still talking to purveyors and prefabricated homes to determine which will work best for the industry.

Costs Are Not Always Lower

One of the biggest advantages is the speed in which prefabricated and modular homes can be built, said Steve Glenn, founder and director of Plant Prefab in Los Angeles. Such houses can be built faster because some construction can be going on off site at the same time as site work. The result can cut construction time by half, which can mean a lot more homes built in less time.

Cost is another consideration. Construction costs in Hawaii are substantial. Construction costs for a union-built single-family home can be above $500 per square foot, said R.J. Martin an Oahu developer who has developed single-family homes in Nanakuli.

Vamsi Kumar Kotla, chief executive of ReMo Homes in Sherman Oaks, California, said the company could build a 1,200-square-foot modular home for $300,000, or $250 a square foot. The homes include plumbing and electrical wiring and can simply be delivered and installed on prepared sites. Kotla acknowledged that the price does not include shipping from California, which could drive up the cost significantly.

The wildfire destroyed some 2,200 structures in Lahaina, some 85% of them homes. Will construction crews be able to rebuild fast enough to keep residents from fleeing the islands because of a lack of housing?

It’s not just homes that could be replaced using modular methods.

UrbanBloc of San Leandro, California, converts standard shipping containers into small commercial buildings to use for restaurants, coffee shops and retail spaces.  A standard 40-foot shipping container could be converted into a space for a coffee a small restaurant complete with kitchen equipment.

Even if the container buildings aren’t permanent fixtures in Lahaina, they could be stood up quickly to serve the construction workers and others who are rebuilding Lahaina and later transported somewhere else.

 

Construction Workers Also Will Need Housing

Which of these solutions makes its way to Hawaii in end might depend on PRP. Union carpenter jobs pay a rare living wage in Hawaii. Pereira said it’s important that modular home developers, who essentially lower costs by building houses in factories elsewhere, do not create an unfair playing field for the local workers.

Pereira added

‘Maui will need hundreds or thousands of new homes, not just for residents but also for an army of construction workers. And many of them will come from PRP, we are going to be there to provide the expert labour that’s needed to rebuild Lahaina,”

Source: Civil Beat

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 MMC Ireland Inaugural Conference a Sell Out Success

Over 250 delegates from across the offsite sector gathered at Croke Park, Dublin for the much-anticipated MMC Ireland National Conference. The inaugural event, hosted in partnership with MMC Ireland and Explore Offsite, was hailed a complete success, with exhibition space and delegate tickets selling out.

 

Showcasing the best in modern methods of construction from Ireland, the event hosted a packed schedule of talks, presentations and case studies. Chairing the conference was Paul Tierney, interim CEO for MMC Ireland who welcomed guests to the event. Vaughan Buckley, CEO of Volumetric Building Companies, delivered the keynote speech emphasising the global opportunities for growth and development in the MMC sector.

 

During both the morning and afternoon sessions, panel discussions gave further insight into some of the key event themes and topics. Industry experts came together to talk about the opportunities and challenges facing the industry. Under the banner of ‘Digital Platforms Leading the Way in MMC’ and ‘MMC, A Driver for Increased Output in the Housing Sector’ – the expert panel discussions offered invaluable insights and were well received by delegates.

 

Following the digital platforms panel, Amy Marks, VP of Enterprise Transformation Practice -Autodesk, gave the afternoon keynote presentation underlining the importance of innovation and digital transformation within the MMC industry.

 

Alongside the packed speaker schedule, a dedicated exhibition area offered the opportunity to network and discover the latest product innovations. Speakers at the event included representatives from MJH Structural Engineers, Evolusion Innovation, the Steel Construction Institute (SCI), Barratt Developments and the Irish Green Building Council, amongst many others.

 

MMC Ireland is a leading representative body established to promote and drive the growing MMC sector. Members include construction professionals, manufacturers, consultants and suppliers. The conference was a landmark moment for the group, whose aim is to bring together the combined expertise of all its members to provide guidance, support and drive growth for the industry.

 

Paul Tierney said:

“MMC Ireland, as an organisation, maybe in its infancy, but the resounding success of the first conference has showcased the deep expertise and technical knowledge that exists across the industry and our members. As we work to champion the benefits of offsite construction, we welcome the robust commitment to increasing the adoption of offsite and other modern methods of construction shown by the sector and government and look forward to working to progress further than ever.”

To learn more about MMC Ireland and the national conference

 

or to find out about becoming a member, please CLICK HERE

 

 

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Portakabin builds ambitions with trio of executive leadership appointments

Modular building market leader Portakabin has added three new leaders to its executive team as the company bolsters its dominant position in the offsite industry.

With the recent acquisition of healthcare specialist Darwin Group, Portakabin is making serious inroads in asserting pressure on other players in the modular market. With 283,900m2 of manufacturing space across three sites, and over 80 customer locations across Europe, it remains the largest supplier of modular buildings in the UK alone.

Dan Ibbetson, CEO comments: “There are many elements required to not only make a business successful but to also make it a great place to work; a clearly defined strategy, excellent governance and amazing people certainly helps. Gavin, Simon and Kim are the final pieces in the puzzle for us and I’m incredibly excited to see where they’re going to take us.”

Kim Panton joined in August 2022 as People and Culture Director from Rolls-Royce where she has spent the past 20+ years working with one of the world’s most reputable brands. Her strategic HR skillset has ranged across the group’s business units and brings considerable experience in people and organisational development.

Kim comments: “Portakabin is a fantastic business with brilliant people and represents an exciting new challenge for me. I’m delighted to have joined the team and I’m looking forward to supporting the organisation as it grows and develops.”

Simon Thomson joined in January 2023 as Company Secretary and General Counsel from Aggreko and has quickly become a strategic partner to stakeholders both within the legal function and throughout the wider organisation.

Simon comments: “I’m incredibly proud to be part of this organisation; it has a fantastic heritage, and our people strike the right balance between being commercially minded and customer focused. I’m looking forward to realising the outstanding potential for future growth and success with Portakabin.”

Gavin Urwin joined in March 2023 as Chief Financial Officer from Smart Metering Systems PLC (SMS) and brings considerable experience of working within both PLC and family-owned businesses along with his ability to manage multiple stakeholder groups.

Gavin comments: “There’s never been a better time to join a market leading brand name such as Portakabin. It’s a growing and ambitious business, both in the UK and Europe, has fantastic people working for it and I’m delighted to be part of its future.”

www.portakabin.com

 

 

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Modular building proves perfect solution for challenging Kingston Hospital site

Modular construction pioneer Wernick Buildings recently completed a new healthcare clinic located in Greater London.

Due to the closure of the previous three-story Roehampton building on site, Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was looking for a new purpose-built unit to house its growing outpatient services for the Gynaecology, Audiology and Ear, Nose and Throat departments.

After a discussion with the Wernick Buildings team, it was decided that two separate modular healthcare buildings onsite would offer the most timely and cost-effective solution to accommodate all three hospital departments.
The first building delivered by Wernick was the Gynaecology Outpatient Clinic (Willow Building.)  Through a competitive tender process, Wernick Buildings presented a full turnkey solution, which included a complete groundworks package and service connection.

Designed for outpatient use, the two-storey BREEAM-rated block offers several HTN/HBN-compliant amenities including consultation areas, procedure and recovery rooms, staff offices, changing facilities and accessible toilets. The reception and waiting area feature an open floor plan, creating a spacious welcome area for patients.

The building is comprised of 30 modules and showcases sleek cladding, PV panels, and a state-of-the-art plant room on the second storey.

Wernick worked closely with ADP Architecture during the design process. Clinic nurses, doctors and other staff were also consulted in the planning process, assuring their specific needs and requests were met.
Clinical Director Meena Shankar remarked on the speed and usefulness of the new clinic.

“The building was ready to use very quickly and is very modern and comfortable,” said Meena. “We were excited about being involved with the design team from the beginning to get exactly what we wanted.”

The clinic features a modern interior with a cool green colour pallet. Its interior was designed to help provide a calming environment for patients who may be undergoing difficult procedures. The layout boasts a convenient one-way traffic system to support improved infection control measures highlighted through COVID and includes a patient-sensitive discrete exit.

Wernick was also able to provide two temporary modular office buildings to house other displaced departments immediately following the closure of Roehampton Wing.

The building modules were constructed off-site, which allowed for minimal disruption and noise pollution to the surrounding area.

Crews overcame several challenges when transporting and installing the modules into place on the property. The building site was landlocked by three roads and located at the front of the hospital entrance near an Ambulance & Emergency facility. Crane operatives had to take special care to manoeuvre the modules in a dense area surrounded by other buildings.

A second clinic (Aspen Building) housing the Audiology and Ear, Nose and Throat departments was completed in Spring 2023.

Wernick Buildings has decades of experience in delivering modular solutions in the healthcare sector and is highly skilled at working around live clinical building settings. Design, manufacture and site teams are located in-house, providing you with a single point of contact for peace of mind throughout the project. Wernick’s flexible modular systems provide cost efficiency, shorter and more reliable programmes, and improved quality and sustainability.
Offsite construction methods are attractive to NHS trusts as they can dramatically reduce build programmes. Facilities can be operational in a matter of months, compared to years for many traditional build projects. They also reduce onsite disruption and associated health and safety risks.

The Wernick building system is designed to deliver compliant hospital wards and clinical spaces via standardisation with compliancy requirements being applied to building systems. This streamlines the construction process by incorporating pre-approved designs.

Aside from integrating standard NHS specifications, modular construction can offer clients the option to create bespoke building designs tailored to their specific requirements.

 

www.wernick.co.uk

 

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The UK’s Largest Modular Build to Rent Project

Macquarie’s UK Build to Rent platform – Goodstone Living – has secured over £100m of debt financing from NatWest and Allied Irish Bank, to support the delivery of Smith’s Garden, the UK’s largest modular Build to Rent community in Birmingham.

“Quality Build to Rent is an increasingly important housing tenure for the UK and we are pleased to close our second transaction with the Goodstone team.

“Smith’s Gardens’ commitments on both embodied and operational carbon demonstrate Goodstone’s environmental ambition while its construction will support job creation and regeneration in the local area of Digbeth.”

Michael Goode, Director and Build to Rent Lead, NatWest

Goodstone Living has also appointed Elements Europe as its construction partner to support the transformation of the 4.2-acre island site in Digbeth, the heart of Birmingham’s creative quarter. Construction will start imminently, and the scheme is expected to complete in 2025.

“As a forward-looking lender it is increasingly important for us to be able to finance schemes that provide much needed new housing that has a positive social and environmental impact while being future proofed against changing market conditions.

“Smith’s Garden is pioneering in terms of its construction and environmental considerations while delivering 550 much needed new homes for rent.”

Kieran Redford, Corporate Banking, Allied Irish Bank GB

Smith’s Garden will deliver 550 next generation Build to Rent homes across six buildings, including a 26-storey landmark tower. Homes will be manufactured offsite by Elements Europe at its modular factory in Telford. The company is a leading modular firm backed by Korean conglomerate GS Engineering and Construction – part of the GS Group.

The new homes will be centred around over an acre of private garden – one of the largest in central Birmingham. Other amenities at Smith’s Garden include a co-working space, fitness centre and creche.

“Elements Europe are proud to have partnered with Goodstone Living over the past 18-months to design and prepare the largest modular Build to Rent residential construction scheme to date in the UK.

“Utilising Modern Methods of Construction and delivering the apartments in a fully modular form not only provides programme benefits to our client, but also reduces the construction footprint by over 3,700 less vehicle movements into Birmingham and creates over 35% less construction waste than traditional construction methods.

“We will continue to contribute to the development of MMC in the UK together with GS E&C and The Pickstock Group.”

David Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Elements Europe

To secure its position at the forefront of the sector, Goodstone Living’s specialist team has applied a series of pioneering design, innovation and sustainability principles to the scheme. Embodied carbon emissions during construction will be reduced by over 30% (vs. RIBA 2025 benchmark) through its use of cement-replacement with ground granulated blast furnace slag, and locally manufactured, volumetric modular construction.

Smith’s Garden’s operational carbon emissions will also be reduced by over 50% (vs. Part L 2021 Building Regulations) by implementing the latest heating and enhanced building fabric technologies. This includes fully electrifying the scheme with an air source heat pump in each apartment, on-site energy production and triple glazed windows.

The development will also exceed current fire regulations, with all buildings featuring dual staircases to enhance resident safety and wellbeing.

“Smith’s Garden is one of the largest and most exciting Build to Rent residential projects in the UK and is testament to the evolution of this sector over the past 15 years. We want to show it is not just possible but desirable to build better now, and this helps improve and future proof assets for all of our stakeholders.

“This project also marks an important milestone for Goodstone which now has almost 1,000 units under construction and a large pipeline of development opportunities to scale its portfolio by leveraging the market dislocation driven by a higher rates environment and challenges facing the traditional build-to-sell model.”

Martin Bellinger, Principal, Goodstone Living

Creating social value, the project will create over 75 new local jobs. It is also targeting the delivery of over £2m of socio-economic benefits for the local community through access to learning for local children, apprenticeships and work experience for young people, as well as those with learning difficulties and from under-represented backgrounds.

“Schemes likes this help to drive growth and regeneration right across our region. Smith’s Garden will be providing high quality new rental homes with high environmental standards in historic Digbeth – at the same time as creating jobs and opportunities for local people and the wider community.

“It’s great to see modular construction taking centre stage here – with Elements generating highly skilled jobs in Telford in a factory that will power the delivery of thousands of homes in the months and years ahead. It’s also good news that jobs will be created in Digbeth itself during the construction phase. I cannot wait to see this project come to fruition.”

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands

 

Source: BTR News

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Modulek Helps the Royal Marines Get a Firm Footing

Modulek helps RMA – The Royal Marines Charity, Lympstone get a firm footing for 2023. 

 

Leading true hybrid construction company Modulek was delighted to attend the official opening of RMA – The Royal Marines Charity’s new building on the 13th of July.

The new CHAMP building will house the charity’s service staff and provide a unification of support at the camp.

The Charity’s Chair of Trustees, Mrs Lynn Fordham explained how vital such provision is:

 

” It is important that the Charity’s teams are located within the Camp as so many of the Royal Marines family we support are either based at CTCRM or travel through regularly. The Charity’s activities on camp include direct support to those recruits who, for whatever reason, are unable to complete training; briefing serving ranks during all training courses and command courses, and to be available for staff and family members to drop in for advice and support, whether that be welfare, employment, education, fundraising, amenities or RMA membership and reunions.”

 

Modulek LTD  became involved with the charity as there was an urgent need to replace its former home, a wooden hut dating back to WW2.

No longer fit for purpose and designated a danger, Modulek was drafted in to provide alternative facilities.

The current site required a full turnkey service, with Modulek providing demolition of the old site right through to service installation and landscaping of the new building.

Carried out within just 13 weeks and on budget, Modulek worked closely with RMA – The Royal Marines Charity to ensure the new building kept some of the charms of the old wooden hut, with a wooden cladding external finish.

Present at the opening ceremony, Major Mark Latham RM 2IC Support Wing & Officer Commanding Base Company, Commando Training Centre Royal Marines, added:

 

“This is an outstanding project, brought in within the timeline and potentially under budget. It is a very impressive building and a project that will allow the Charity to operate within a suitable and fitting environment. I, for one, am very impressed with how this project was managed and completed.”

 

WEBSITE

 

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Radical Rethink needed to meet New Homes Target

Radical rethink needed if Britain ever to meet annual 300,000 new homes target – construction workforce is simply too small

Modular homes can deliver factory-built houses with 50% fewer workers from a different pool of employees – and are 40% more productive than traditional builds

 

  • No Government can come close to its 300,000 new homes a year target by 2025 or even by 2030 without dramatic change in way we build houses
  • Just 11,000 construction apprentices completed courses last year – most do not enter housebuilding industry
  • 137,000 new workers would be needed into the industry to deliver Government target of 300,000 new homes a year by 2030
  • That would mean 17,000 new recruits each year – triple the number at present
  • Construction industry collectively needs to recruit 950,000 new employees by 2030 to deliver on Government’s current demands – net zero retrofitting, remediating unsafe cladding and new homes target
  • Modular can be the solution with government’s backing to help it scale up
  • 50,000 open construction vacancies equate to loss of £2.6 billion in construction output last year

Britain does not have the labour force to meet the Government’s target of building 300,000 homes a year by 2025. Cumbersome planning regulations and lack of money coming to the sector are often blamed for this lack of supply. Even if radical improvement to planning rules were put in place and traditional housebuilding had all the cash ministers could throw at it, the sector could still build no more homes as they don’t have the specialist workforce to make them.”

The traditional housebuilding sector needs to recruit 137,000 more workers just to hit the new homes 300,000 target by 2030 – this means 17,000 new recruits every year, triple the present rate. The current training system saw just 11,000 construction apprenticeships completed last year.

But that isn’t the end of the shortage story. Some 360,000 construction workers due to retire by 2030 must be replaced along with a further 24,000 to complete essential Government initiatives like remediating unsafe cladding on high rise buildings across the country. The wider construction industry’s labour force also needs to find a way to retrofit homes to meet the government’s net zero targets, which will require 220,000 new workers by 2030. This labour shortage equated to a loss of around £2.6bn of output in construction in 2022 and £263m of lost housebuilding output.

Collectively, the whole construction industry faces an impossible goal of needing to recruit over 950,000 workers by 2030 to meet all of these demands from government.

Modular homes can be a mainstay of the solution

  • Factory-made houses target a different pool of workers with the skills to work in precision manufacturing. The skills needed are easy to learn on the job with in-house training, and efficient assembly line processes mean modular house builders use 50% fewer workers to construct the same number of homes. This builds additionality in supply and modular is also 40% more productive than traditional housebuilding.

 

  • Just 10-20% of modular staff are from sought-after construction trades, with up to 65% in manufacturing roles.

 

  • Modular’s in-house training model means modular manufacturers can tap into a diverse labour pool of career changers, people coming out of economic inactivity or less-qualified workers who are keen to learn new skills. Jobs are secure full-time permanent contracts, delivering work security which does not exist within the traditional construction sector.

To scale up – modular needs government to:

  1. Remove the accidental double government levy charge on modular manufacturers by exempting them from the scope of the CITB levy.
  2. Build supply chain capacity by repurposing the £10m allocated for the MMC Taskforce and use it to support a match-funded supply chain transformation programme based on those government has successfully delivered in aerospace, offshore wind, and nuclear.
  3. Solve the housing crisis faster by dedicating 40% of the affordable housing programme to modern methods of construction.

 

Steve Cole, Director Make UK Modular said:

 

“To address the issue of labour shortages which is now at critical point, Government must help modular to grow at speed and take advantage of the fact modular can build homes quickly but also homes which are efficient to heat and run.

 

“The changes we are asking for on the levy, reallocating the money for the MMC Taskforce and dedicating a substantial chunk of the affordable homes programme to modular would not cost any extra money. But they would help drive way faster growth in the sector and mean modular factories could operate at maximum productivity to deliver the homes Britain so desperately needs.”

Read the full report here Who will be the builders? Modular’s role in solving the housing labour crisis | Make UK

 

About Make UK Modular

Make UK Modular is the voice of the modular housing sector. We exist to help modular housing scale up, provide expert advice about the sector’s needs, foster collaboration to overcome political issues, and work with members to grow their businesses.

The UK needs more homes, and fast. It needs homes which are green to build. It needs homes which use less energy. It needs homes to be great quality and good value. And it needs new people to build them. It needs homes: greener, better, faster. It needs Modular.

Make UK Modular | Make UK

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