MMC
AFFORDABLE HOUSING EN-MASSE? LET’S START LOOKING TO MODULAR Charlie Fleet, Managing Director at wall coverings specialist Reco Surfaces, discusses how modular construction can lead the way in building more affordable homes in Britain. RECO SURFACES
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f the past few months of being stuck indoors have taught us anything, it’s the importance of being able to reside in a home where we feel comfortable, secure and protected. It seems like a cruel twist of fate then, when you consider that some of the people we’ve relied on most throughout the pandemic – such as healthcare assistants, carers and supermarket workers – just happen to be some of the lowest-paid workers in the country; in some cases, living in the poorest housing. With jobs lost heading towards the millions, inflation rising and the UK now officially in recession, plus the fact that almost 90,000 households in the UK are currently in temporary housing, there’s never been more of an urgent need for high-quality, affordable housing. The sector knows it, as does the Government. With the Prime Minister, back in July, announcing huge investments into building over the next decade as part of his ‘Project Speed’ initiative, the UK is going to need to balance speed with quality to create fit for the future homes. FC&A – OCTOBER – 2020
In order to build the level of housing required, the construction sector is going to have to think above and beyond the ‘norm’. Modern methods of construction, such as modular, have long been cited as a way to build quickly and within budget. However, over the past decade, they’ve not quite been adopted as hoped. But with more major housebuilders now taking modular building methods on board, and the market prime for new ways of working, now could finally be the time when this type of construction sticks.
Why modular? Why now? The benefits of modular are relatively well-known across the industry. It’s efficient, it’s fast, it’s cost-effective, it’s sustainable, and perhaps most importantly right now, it’s safe – requiring fewer people on site and; therefore, more suited to social distancing practices. Research by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) estimated that if 25% of the UK construction sector moved to off-site building, it would achieve a 3.6% increase in productivity, while new homes could be built 30% faster. As a prime example of this need for speed, you only need to look at somewhere like Greenwich, which has more than 20,000 people on the housing 30
waiting list, with an average wait of almost three years. In August, its council signed a £300m contract for the delivery of up to 750 new modular homes to address this. The homes can be built in less than two weeks, rather than the typical six-month construction period. Just a few days later, Caledonian Modular was appointed by Lewisham Council to deliver 112 affordable modular homes – demonstrating a clear shift towards modular in this space. Modular construction is not only faster and more efficient, but it’s also better for the environment. Working in bulk numbers has a variety of sustainability advantages, for example, transporting large parts of a building in one go cuts down on the transport required to take each individual item to site on its own, thereby cutting down on emissions. An analysis comparing the carbon footprint of traditional construction to modular found that modular cut greenhouse gas emissions by anything from 17 to 30% and that modular materials tend to be more energy-efficient. It’s likely that this will be extremely attractive in helping the Government reach its net zero-carbon target
