RURAL MATTERS - monthly column from the CPRE
Would you consider a Prefabricated home?
NEWS
Proposal for Boklok UK Housing Estate CGI
We’ve come a long way since the temporary post-war emergency housing gave prefabricated a bad name, says Rupert Hardy, chair of North Dorset Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) Some of us still remember the stigma surrounding ‘prefab’ housing. In the post-war years, prefabricated homes were seen as a temporary solution to the housing crisis. Many weren’t intended to last more than a decade, were poorly made and insulated ... but surprisingly are still standing. Their lack of appeal was also related to British housebuilding’s traditional use of brick and stone, rather than northern Europe’s use of wood, which lends itself to prefabrication. Building standards have moved on considerably since the 1940s when an indoor bathroom was considered a luxury. Modular homes on sale today are energyefficient, built to last and quick to assemble. CPRE often complains about excessive
housing targets, but there as enhanced insulation, solar is clearly a need for more panels and heat pumps. genuinely Many are made affordable “Building standards of wood, the most and social sustainable building have moved on housing. material with the considerably since Modular lowest carbon homes should the 1940s, when an footprint. They are be 10-20% indoor bathroom therefore more cheaper than was considered a environmentally traditionally friendly and cheaper luxury” built homes, to run. Off-site once scale construction also economies have been requires fewer builders, thus achieved. Although there are addressing one of the housing few on sale in North Dorset industry’s major challenges. now, this is likely to change. Modular building offers a lower carbon footprint as The eco credentials there are fewer lorry deliveries We are of course also faced to the site, which has a with a climate emergency and pleasant knock-on effect of modular homes can boast people living nearby being less eco-friendly credentials, affected. using sustainable materials In other European countries and construction methods, such as Germany, factoryincorporating features such made modular homes are 27
