MMc & Offsite

As with most other sectors of the economy, the construction industry is coming under increasing pressure to become more sustainable and to minimise the carbon emissions and environmental impact of projects.

Together with environmental initiatives, such as the London Plan 2021, which requires medium- and large-scale construction projects in London to have an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and carbon footprint statements as part of the planning application, central government and local authority policies place increased pressure on architects, developers and clients to design and construct buildings using sustainable materials and methods.

Meeting the upcoming Future Homes Standard will likely require affordable housing providers and housebuilders to find new ways of constructing high-performing, thermally efficient homes. Coupled with the need for cost-control, speed of construction and repeatability of design, the off-site manufacture of components is also gaining momentum.

Tom Cox, Technical and Development Director at Saint-Gobain Off-Site Solutions discusses the company’s new closed panel timber solution, Thermistud™️ and how the business has combined the benefits of off-site construction with a tested structural system to offer a scalable solution for building sustainable and energy-efficient homes.

The need for new homes continues to rise, with an average of 240,000 new houses being built each year. This increase has resulted in added pressure being placed on construction companies and their supply chains to keep up with demand.

One solution which is aiding the industry and enabling houses to be built more quickly is the off-site manufacture of prefabricated building component products. Chris Pearce, Sales Director at Stormking, a UK-based manufacturer of Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) prefabricated products for the construction industry, explains how building off-site can benefit the new home construction supply chain and keep projects on track:

Saint-Gobain Off-Site Solutions is celebrating securing a place on the Offsite Homes Alliance’s £2 billion off-site national modular construction framework.
Saint-Gobain Off-Site Solutions has been appointed to deliver panelised modern methods of construction (CAT2) over the next four years on the OSHA Framework, administrated by Great Places Housing Group, to supply homes to its 23 members and to future new members of the alliance.

Connect Modular Ltd has been appointed by North Ayrshire Council to deliver six new amenity bungalows at Afton Court, Stevenston.
The development, which is supported by a Scottish Government grant, will see construction of two one-bedroom and four two-bedroom affordable homes in the heart of the Ayrshire town.
This is the second time North Ayrshire has partnered with Connect Modular to deliver new affordable housing using the innovative modular construction method. In 2019, Connect Modular constructed 31 modular affordable homes for North Ayrshire Council on Ardrossan Road, Seamill and Jennifer Higgins, Managing Director of Connect Modular, is pleased to have won this repeat business.

With the economic and financial effects of Covid-19 continuing to pile pressure on those most vulnerable, concerning figures emerging from recent homelessness studies demonstrate why the housing crisis remains a top priority for local authorities and housing associations as we move further into 2022.

Highlighting the severity of the crisis, figures report around 37,000 people have required emergency accommodation since March 2020, with this number likely underestimated due to the pandemic. According to studies by UK charity Shelter, 668 people died while homeless in England and Wales in 2020. Meanwhile, homelessness-related deaths in Scotland presented an increase of nearly 20% year on year with 256 estimated mortalities. The vast majority of mortalities registered are males, with men representing a staggering 88% of the total number.

Offsite contractor, M-AR has launched a brand-new CPD module focussed exclusively on modern methods of construction (MMC) and exploring how best to maximise the benefits of offsite.
 
Typifying M-AR’s open and collaborative approach to improving standards across the industry, the new CPD is designed to provide architects, specifiers, cost consultants and end clients alike with insight on the offsite manufacture and installation process as an alternative to traditional build.