modular homes

There are 282,000 people currently classed as homeless in the UK, according to the national charity for homeless people, Crisis1. To help tackle this, award-winning housebuilder The Hill Group set out a mission to donate 200 purpose-built modular homes that would provide people experiencing periods of homelessness with fully equipped, safe and secure single dwellings to live in before finding a permanent home.

Having cultivated a collaborative working relationship with Hill for several years, Vaillant specified and installed six of its aroTHERM air source heat pump units to Hill’s SoloHaus development in South Tottenham, London to help with the heating and hot water needs.

New national data analysis has revealed the top 10 homelessness spots* in England, with Cornwall at the top of the list.

The research was commissioned by HAAUUSS, a spin off from Velocity RDT – a company which designs and manufactures affordable, technologically advanced temporary housing – to discover the extent of homelessness across local authorities in England. 

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.

The Offsite Show is the must attend event for housing associations - The brand new event will make its debut in London this year and will run alongside UK Construction Week (UKCW), Concrete Expo (3-4 May) and Grand Designs Live, (3-5 May).

In partnership with Buildoffsite, and supported by the MPBA, the Offsite Show will be the only UK event that unites the client and supply chain for all aspects of the rapidly expanding offsite construction sector.

The Offsite Show will welcome leading content provider, Buildoffsite who will host comprehensive free to attend seminars and workshops with support from key industry stakeholders and Government departments.

Editor Victoria Galligan asks Joseph Daniels, CEO of modular homes provider Project Etopia, about the advances in MMC and how a joint venture enabled modular developments to get up and running…

Modular homes Q&A with Joseph Daniels, Project Etopia

Tell us about the factory: what type of properties can be made onsite and where will the modular homes be placed?

The factory will create the panels needed to build modular homes. It has the capability of producing enough panels for 2,000 homes a year, although we have ambitions to grow capacity to 6,000 homes a year. By using a panelised system, the parts can be transported to any part of the country where a house can then be built on-site.