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First fix 11 windows offsite in just 23 minutes

Timber frame and SIPs panel manufacturers can speed up the installation of windows and doors by using the Sidey Kitfix system. Pressure is on for builders and developers to get on and off-site faster. This means looking at ways to reduce the time spent installing windows and doors.

“With the Sidey Kitfix System, windows and doors can be accurately fitted at the factory stage,” says Steve Hardy, Managing Director of fenestration and offsite construction specialists Sidey Solutions. “It’s quick too – 11 windows can be first fixed in 23 minutes. They are installed when the walls are horizontal in the factory and the innovative Kitfix brackets are twist fitted to the window or door frame. Air tightness, thermal and acoustic seals can also be included at this stage.

“This system makes transportation simple and once on site, the panels are erected as normal. This means homes are wind, watertight and secure much sooner, and makes the build much faster. It also eliminates the need for separate deliveries of windows and doors, with no site storage required either.

“The latest changes to planning laws announced on 5 March mean there is even more pressure to get the job done quicker,” adds Steve. “Choosing Kitfix to install windows and doors will help builders and developers build fast.”

For more information go to www.sidey.co.uk.
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Premier’s offsite solutions provide the best quality construction facilities in Europe, supporting the UK’s infrastructure growth

Studies show that people perform their work far more productively when employed in comfortable working environments. The team within Premier Modular have continually focussed on this during their product development phases and in their provision of temporary accommodation to support the UK’s construction teams. Premier’s buildings and services are supporting a large number of clients on a variety of significant infrastructure projects. A contribution to Premier’s success is a recognition of this productivity fact by many clients looking to maximise the performance of their staff and contractors throughout the life of their construction projects.

Premier have supplied around 40,000m2 of facilities in the last year that are currently supporting the construction of three significant UK infrastructure projects at Hinkley Point C, Sirius Minerals and HS2. On analysis there was a thread of common themes from these clients in their selection of office and welfare facility supplier. Firstly a business who had the capability and track record of construction of high quality and comfortable working environments. Secondly an innovative business with a can do attitude in terms of flexibility in product layouts and finishes. Finally and critically a company with a long history and proven track record of safe, reliable and focussed delivery in complex, difficult working environments.

All of Premier’s temporary accommodation is designed to be flexible in layout, combined with a minimum 2.7m ceiling height, 12m clear span and fully interchangeable configurations up to 5 storey height. These basic elements serve to create the basis of a great working environment, allowing for well ventilated and more comfortable office areas not hindered by structural columns.

Manufacturing through lean flow lines in Premier’s 5 factories in East Yorkshire, build quality levels are extremely high in this controlled environment and waste is dramatically reduced through smart design detailing, reuse and recycling.

Sirius Minerals’ project involves the construction of two deep mineshafts to access a polyhalite mineral deposit, connected to a 23 mile tunnel to transport the mineral via conveyor belt to Teesside, where it will be processed and shipped around the world to be used as fertilizer. Construction of the mine, one of the biggest construction projects in the North of England, began last year and is due to enter production in late 2021 creating up to 2500 jobs and £2.5bn of exports. Premier have supplied three office and welfare facilities for the mining staff and teams ensuring they work in an optimum environment. Premier’s client stated that “High safety standards and low environmental impact are the two major criteria that we have to fulfil for all our on-site construction, and Premier’s building design has allowed us to achieve that.”

Premier also achieved the aspirations of EDF energy for their temporary facilities; constructing 30,000 m2 of office, welfare and catering accommodation at Hinkley Point C to house over 5,000 construction workers, supporting the 10 year Nuclear power station construction build. Due to the complexity of the site restrictions, maintaining a motivated workforce is critical to the construction plan. The aspiration set was to have the best site office, welfare and catering facilities in Europe; something Premier is proud to have achieved as commented on by the site union representatives.

In an increasingly time pressured market, expectations of build quality and innovative design, need not be diminished. Creating the best working environment in your office and welfare accommodation for your employees and teams should not be underestimated. Partnering the correct accommodation supplier with the right product, attitude and demonstrable capability will pay dividends during any infrastructure project construction.

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The next generation of commercial windows

Advances in window systems and exciting new composite materials are turning perceptions on their heads and extending the limits of commercial windows and doors.

First generation PVC-U windows and doors were bulky and unattractive and came in a very limited range of colours. And if you wanted very big windows and tall, or very tall doors standard PVC-U isn’t the answer. So, specifiers have traditionally favoured aluminium for commercial projects for aluminium’s strong, slim profiles and wide colour selection. But the rate and scale of development in commercial windows has been phenomenal, and it’s now possible to have the best of aluminium with the best of PVC-U in one window. Specifiers can now have the warmth and energy efficiency of PVC-U and the sustainability, strength, looks, and the colour choice of aluminium in high performance composite commercial windows.

Linktrusion™ – the latest exciting commercial innovation by Deceuninck

This new solution is based on Deceuninck’s Linktrusion™ technology, and it comes with many exciting new benefits.

Linktrusion™ composite technology is a true innovation that breaks new ground in the commercial sector. This patented technology is used in our composite 5000 window system which incorporates immensely-strong pultruded glass-fibre in the profiles, plus optional patented thermal reinforcement with embedded steel wires in a low density insulating foam core encased in recycled PVC-U for excellent U values.

Windows manufactured with Linktrusion™ are as strong as steel reinforced windows, but 30% more thermally efficient, with up to 40% savings on materials and weight. Linktrusion™ technology is the first to remove the need for traditional steel reinforcement, and its inherent great strength allows specifiers to consider using very tall windows and very large doors (1100 x 2500 or 1150 x 2400 for a single door). The windows have slim sightlines, are available in countless Decoroc and foiled colours and are 100% recyclable. Feedback from specifiers has been extremely positive. London and Quadrant (L & Q) for example specified this ground-breaking technology for their recent flagship complex in Abbey Road, Barking. L&Q is one of the UK’s leading housing associations and one of the largest residential developers in London. The organisation wanted windows with top performance and aesthetics. Using Deceuninck’s unique LinktrusionTM technology the project was completed in Decoroc Anthracite grey RAL 7016 – a very popular choice of colour in the commercial sector.

Forging strong ties with commercial fabricators and contractors

Deceuninck has an exciting portfolio of commercial projects including Imperial College London (1,100 apartments), Hinkley Point staff accommodation (1,400 apartments), Ocean Village in Southampton (700 frames), and Trafford House in Basildon (4,500 apartments). We develop strong, close relationships with commercial partners to help them meet project specifications, and our technical support team is available to help with complex issues such as weather performance, energy efficiency and increasingly, acoustics.

Acoustics is fast becoming a critical factor in commercial specification, with developers keen to reduce the impact of noise pollution. That’s why Deceuninck is currently investing in systematic acoustic testing of its full range. As far as we’re aware, we’re the first PVC-U window systems company to make this commitment. Working in partnership with one of the country’s leading acoustic testing centres at the University of Salford, we’ve completed testing of our 2500 and 5000, and Fully Reversible Window, with further testing in progress.

Deceuninck’s acoustic expertise was crucial in the Hinkley Point C staff accommodation development. Developers and planners needed to reduce the impact of noise on workers so tasked Dempsey Dyer and Deceuninck to cut the decibel rating down by RW35db to produce windows of RW40db and RW43db.

Call 01249 816 969 or visit www.deceuninck.co.uk for more about our commercial range and commercial work. You can also download Deceuninck’s full product portfolio from the NBS National BIM Library at www.nationalbimlibrary.com/deceuninck-ltd.
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New skills needed to harness true potential of offsite construction

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Offsite construction could revolutionise the construction industry and provide a solution to the UK housing shortage, but only if the sector develops the right skills.

Faster, Smarter, More Efficient: Building Skills for Offsite Construction shows that 42% of construction industry employers with over 100 staff expect to use offsite methods in five years’ time.

When asked about the use of offsite-specific construction materials and products, 100% said they expected the use of precast concrete panels to increase; 91% anticipated the use of precast concrete frame to rise.

At present however, offsite construction accounts for just 10% of industry output.

The report – which follows the recommendations set out in industry expert Mark Farmer’s government-backed review of UK construction – also reveals that nearly 50% of construction industry clients expect the use of offsite construction to increase over the next five years.

Offsite processes save time and money and can improve quality through pre-fabrication of components – from panels to fully fitted rooms.

Mark Farmer said “The urgency for modernisation has never been greater, set against an insidious backdrop of an ageing workforce and increasing concerns about the impact of Brexit.

“Any strategic shift towards pre-manufacturing and offsite construction creates an immediate requirement to define our future skills needs through collaboration between industry, educators, training providers and government.

“This is crucial to ensuring we can transition to a higher productivity, digitally enabled industry which inherently attracts more of the young talent we so desperately need. It should also set out clear opportunities for the existing construction workforce and indeed workers from other industries to reskill through a new family of career pathways.”

Steve Radley, Director of Policy at CITB, said “There is massive potential for offsite construction. The Government recently announced an additional £1.4bn of funding for affordable homes, with an increase in offsite construction set as an objective, representing a clear opportunity for growth in this area.

“The greatest potential currently lies within the housing and commercial sectors, where mass customisation can create the buildings we need more quickly and to higher standards. There are also opportunities to bring the benefits of offsite to large-scale infrastructure projects – some high profile examples include HS2 and Hinkley Point, which are already using offsite techniques.”

The report outlines six key skills areas related to offsite construction:

  1. digital design
  2. estimating/commercial
  3. offsite manufacturing
  4. logistics
  5. site management and integration
  6. onsite placement and assembly

Increasingly, workers will need the skills to move between offsite and onsite environments and so the training for these six areas must evolve to meet the changing demand.

Currently, significant barriers exist which prevent the delivery of training and skills to meet the needs of these crucial areas. These include:

  • Existing training does not include the required offsite content
  • Lack of awareness and suitability of available training and qualifications – companies are delivering their own ‘in-house’ training, which leads to non-standard approaches
  • A shortage of qualified training providers and assessors

Steve Radley concluded “Successful offsite management hinges on the effective integration of both onsite and offsite functions – and this requires a comprehensive understanding of both aspects.”

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Can modular housing solve the UK’s housing crisis?

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The UK is in the grips of a chronic housing crisis. Rising rent prices, falling wages and a severe labour skills shortage have left housing construction stagnant and properties financially out of reach. Productivity in the construction sector has stalled post-Brexit, and developer focus in recent years has shifted from creating accommodation that is affordable and simple to construct, to complex, luxury projects which often remain unoccupied. With the housing sector contributing to economic inequality in this country, an innovative solution to this crisis is desperately needed.

Modular housing is one solution that has the potential to ease the UK’s housing crisis. Such homes are cost-effective, scalable, sustainable, and efficient to build. However, legislative red tape, local authority dependence on short-term housing solutions, and reluctance by landowners to free up their land have hidebound modular housing’s potential, meaning that the contribution it could make to the easing the housing crisis has not yet been tested.

Currently, housing construction of any type in the UK is being strangled by a severe labour skills shortage. An ageing workforce and a Brexit-induced worker exodus is limiting construction activity, whilst increasing labour costs are making affordable housing financially unattractive for construction companies. Consequently, housing demand is not being met. This is particularly problematic given that the number of new households has exceeded the number of homes built every year since 2008, and estimates suggest there is a need for between 230,000-300,000 additional units per year – a level not reached since the 1970s.

Here, modular could have a significant impact by reinvigorating supply in an affordable and efficient model. Factory, rather than field-based, modular housing can take as little as three days to construct and requires only a semi-skilled workforce who take months, not years, to train. Modular houses also require fewer builders due to being semi mass-produced and standardised, making them appealing to construction companies with diminished workforces and restricted budgets.

The critical shortage of affordable housing in the UK is being exacerbated by legislative red-tape and landowner opposition. Across the country, luxury apartments are plentiful compared to low-cost developments, in part due to landowners who want to achieve the best possible land value, and traditional housebuilders who are perceived as offering the best price. At present off site construction development proposals are less competitive than traditional methods: construction costs are higher than traditional construction meaning a lower land offer for the land, [meaning housebuilders are] less likely to win a competitive bid for land unless the awarding body specifically states the desire to use off-site manufacturing as part of development. Clearly this position may change over time, particularly when site labour becomes more scarce or the demand for offsite manufacturing increases.

However, attitudes could be changing – Wolverhampton City Council is delivering 23,000 modular homes as part of a pilot scheme and a recent decision by the Greater London Authority’s assistant director of housing, to commission a common framework for ‘delivering precision manufactured homes at scale’, suggests that modular, standardised builds are now seen as an acceptable, even attractive, way to work around constrained local authority budgets.

There is, however, a long way to go, and even rising homelessness is currently failing to fuel demand for affordable accommodation. With demand far outstripping supply, local and national government now spend £2 million a day on temporary accommodation, often using the most expensive and least desirable forms of emergency housing, such as B&Bs and hotels, for the over-77,000 homeless households under local authority care. Contrastingly, modular houses can cost as little as £25,000 to build, and offer a permanent or semi-permanent alternative to emergency accommodation which is economically sustainable in the long-run. Some councils are already picking up on modular’s potential to provide stability for those in crisis – in Lewisham, plans for a 25-home modular social rent development are underway; and a collaboration between 16 London boroughs to provide modular housing for use by the homeless has been promised £11m by Sadiq Khan, after a £20,000 seed funding contribution from London Councils’ City Ambition programme kick-started the project.

Creativity, modernisation and efficiency are critical if the UK is ever to solve its housing crisis. The country’s population is unlikely to stop increasing, there is no real answer yet to the severe skills shortage in the country’s construction industry, and the threat of homelessness continues to grow. These are chronic problems for which a solution is needed, and fast. Modular housing could provide just that. Accessible, efficient and sustainable, today’s modular homes are not the prefabs of the past. Instead, they are slick and distinctive; environmentally friendly and architecturally evolved. With the government announcing plans, in March this year to build 100,000 modular homes by 2020, we may finally be waking up to the fact that, in a time of crisis, modular could prove to be just what the country needs.

Written by Ben O’Connor, Development Manager, Kajima

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Shifting from traditional construction methods to offsite alternatives

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The UK construction industry is worth nearly £100 billion to the UK economy each year. But tighter restrictions, increasing build costs and a lack of skilled labour are threatening the sector’s future growth.

But where there are challenges, opportunities can also be found, and the sector has seen several innovative solutions come to the fore in recent years. This is particularly true when it comes to prefabrication and offsite construction products.

These “pod” solutions are being deployed across a wide range of new and refurbishment build projects, from hotels and leisure to education and research facilities. And with the backing of the Government, their usage is only set to increase further.

But why are offsite solutions becoming more popular, and why is the Government keen to back them? In short, they deliver quality at scale, and help projects of all sizes complete on time and to budget. Currently the demand being placed on the construction industry continues to rise, but the number of projects completing on time and to budget continues to fall. This is not just due to tighter regulations and labour shortages, but other factors like the weather and delays in the supply of materials.

Factor in housing shortages, an aging population, an increase in speciality housing needs, a lack of suitable student accommodation and an uptick in the number of build to let homes, and it’s clear to see why prefabricated solutions are being more widely used.

Modern pod solutions are therefore becoming more popular as they can be designed, manufactured and pre-assembled off site, and then simply dropped into place for ease and speed in new build projects but still provide the high quality expected. Specialist manufacturers design and build tailored pods, to perfectly meet client specifications and these are simply delivered whole ready for installation and fitments or re-assembled onsite quickly and easily for refurbishment. Installation does not require skilled labour, significantly reducing time and costs.

When it comes to bathrooms and showers; these can be the most complex part of a build and require wet trades and a range of skilled labour, from designers to plumbers, electricians and tilers. Pre-fab pod solutions however, can be completely bespoke and designed to fit into any space – whether a Grade II listed manor house, an office block, a refurbishment or a new-build.

Sectional pods are ideal for limited spaces, and bespoke designs can be completed from concept to delivery much quicker than manual builds, where a whole host of factors can slow down the build, from the late delivery of materials to several contractors having to work together, in confined spaces and reliant on other trades’ staged completions.

Health and safety is another concern for contractors, and moving construction off site into a factory environment significantly decreases the risk of an accident. Purpose built construction lines have been designed specifically for pod manufacture, and are the safest environment.

There are other benefits, too. When pods are manufactured offsite, the on-site assembling process is far quicker and quieter with less people needed, thereby reducing labour costs. Not only is this cleaner and safer, but it keeps disruption to a minimum – there are less materials and vehicles on site, making the site more efficient and easy to manage.

Pod solutions also deliver on quality and efficiency. A traditional building site can be a source of wasted materials because of finishing, fixing and snagging errors. Prefabricated pods eliminate this; bespoke and resourceful design keeps wastage to a minimum, and their longevity (most come with a min 25-year guarantee) means they are a green alternative to traditional build materials.

Often pod materials can be recyclable, reducing the carbon footprint of the build and providing a sustainable, quality assured building solution, for the future. The best quality pods are designed so that they do not even require sealant, yet are still 100% water tight and the materials used greatly reduce bacteria growth and therefore maintenance costs.

The Government have also recognised the benefits of offsite construction. It has said it will support ‘building long term collaborations’ with the industry, ‘exploiting digital technologies such as the adoption of offsite construction techniques’.

In addition, it said it would ‘adopt a presumption in favour of offsite construction by 2019 across suitable capital programmes’. This stands as further evidence of the rising popularity of offsite modular construction.

As more and more projects are completed, construction management will recognise that modular design can be commercially viable alternative to traditional builds.

Sleek designs and high specifications mean they can be used from high-end projects such as hotels, right down to student accommodation, and still deliver a solid ROI.

In fact, the high specification, unrivalled quality, offsite checks and lower maintenance can extend the longevity of the bathroom environment way beyond those offered by traditional builds which often require on-going maintenance.

Hostile environments are no longer such an issue, either. From city centre apartments to rugged surroundings, installations are no longer a logistical nightmare. From oil rigs to research centres in Antarctica, there is nowhere bathroom pods can’t be installed.

Offsite construction currently accounts for less than 10% of total construction output. But this means there is tremendous scope for further expansion in the building sector. The Government is on board, a growing number of construction managers are on board – what are you waiting for?

Written by Jeanette Parker, Sales & Marketing Manager at TAPLANES

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Establish offsite construction as “a jewel in Britain’s post-Brexit exporting crown”

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Establishing the UK as world leader in modern methods of construction could create a new £40bn a year global export market.

The dramatic rise in city living presents Britain with a unique opportunity to build on its historic legacy as a global leader in construction and engineering projects and develop a £40bn export market.

Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), which include off-site manufacturing and advanced digital design, have been identified by the Government as a way to produce well-designed, energy efficient homes at pace with a leaner and high-skilled workforce.

A new report by Mace, the British construction consultancy, highlights how a global urban renaissance –with more than half of all global populations live in cities – will lead to increasing demand for high rise living. By embracing MMC techniques developed in Britain, homes, offices and schools across the world could be built more quickly and more safely.

The paper, authored by a former Bank of England economist, says that if MMC allow UK construction to export the same amount of global industry value as the UK automotive sector, then its annual exports would increase by £39bn.

It identifies the United States, India and China as the fastest growing markets that Britain should target.

New analysis in the report also highlights:

  • In the UK’s 12 biggest cities, 1 in 6 of the homes that will be required over the next 20 years are yet to be built
  • 10,500 new homes need to be built across these cities every month of every year for the next 20 years to keep up with demand
  • Eradicating the shortfall in the necessary supply of new homes to these cities would add £53bn to their combined economic output over the next 20 years
  • The construction sector would need to increase its productivity by 30% if it is to build the homes these cities needs

The paper argues that unless the construction sector and the Government embrace MMC, the UK will be unable to deliver on the number of homes that have been pledged by politicians. The report also sets out a number of recommendations to reform the sector and establish Britain as a global leader in MMC including:

  1. Accelerating planning consents for projects using MMC that can demonstrate faster, better and greener developments than traditional approaches
  2. Using major events such as the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022 to showcase Britain’s expertise in MMC
  3. Earmarking unused or underused urban spaces for pop-up off site construction sites
  4. Creating ‘construction clubs’ in schools to teach students the basics of how buildings are designed and built using new technologies such as 3D printing

Mark Reynolds, Chief Executive of Mace, said “The construction sector can be a jewel in Britain’s post-Brexit exporting crown. Thanks to a legacy of pioneering achievements, the UK is respected throughout the world as experts in delivering major, complex and innovative construction projects.

“Embracing modern methods of construction and exporting our knowledge around the world could lead to billions of pounds more in trade and help build new relationships with major markets around the world.”

Read the full report here.

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METSEC accommodates offsite solution for Bournemouth students

Arts University Bournemouth has more than 3,000 students and is growing each year. Identifying a need for additional student accommodation in the area, ASN Capital who act as both residential and commercial developers and landlords, had a plot on Bath Road in Bournemouth where it had planning permission to build a halls of residence. Delivering the project as the main contractor, ASN Capital wanted to maximise project efficiencies by sourcing the fewest packages possible.

The footprint of the plot was small, and the planned building was complex, with a curved front façade and a staggered shape to the rear. ASN Capital selected Atkin Trade Specialists to deliver the installation and after reviewing the options, together selected Metsec’s Metframe as the offsite framing solution for the building.

The Metframe solution is pre-panelised off-site to reduce time on-site and increase the overall speed of build; ideal for ASN Capital’s ambition to complete the project as soon as possible. In fact, thanks to the speed of Metframe construction, the erection of the superstructure took less than 13 weeks, halving the time a standard build would have taken.

A major factor in reducing the time needed for the build was that in addition to the frame, the stairs and lift shafts were integral to the Metframe system and were installed as each floor was constructed. This removed the need for additional contractors to fit the stairs and lifts at a later date, and instead everything was completed concurrently using Metsec’s off-site solution.

Having an integrated solution also meant a single point of contact for a significant amount of the build.

Amir Sadeh, of ASN Capital, said: “Our priority was to move the project along swiftly and efficiently. We reviewed multiple solutions that were available to us and selected Metframe as it was ideal for what we needed.

“We had a small plot and a tight time frame and Metsec’s solution allowed us to deliver everything to deadline.”

The 2,610sqm halls of residence at Bath Road has a concrete basement housing a communal room and bike store, a ground floor including a lobby, built partially using Metframe, and eight storeys above ground housing all 84 en-suite accommodation studios for students, entirely built from Metframe.

Jeff Harris, from Atkin Trade Specialists, said: “The building is BIM compliant, designed in a 3D environment which gave ASN Capital a very clear simulation of what each part of the building would look like. In using Metframe, with panels delivered to site in the required erection sequence, the project has zero waste therefore reducing the environmental impact. The overall quality and accuracy through designing in a BIM compliant project and using Metframe leads to material, time and cost savings.

“Having ASN Capital involved throughout and carefully reviewing the best solution for their project meant that they selected a time-saving and cost-efficient solution which gives high performance in terms of thermal, acoustic and fire protection.”

The Metframe solution was able to withstand a concrete roof on the building, which future-proofed the building, allowing an additional floor to be added at a later date if desired.
The Bath Road project used 77 tonnes of cold rolled steel and 15.5 tonnes of hot rolled steel.

For more information please visit www.metsec.com.
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Modular construction in schools: a modern and speedy solution

School buildings are in crisis. With many UK school buildings in poor condition and requiring urgent attention, funding for schools to refurbish and rebuild is also in short supply. But modular construction using structured insulated panels systems (SIPs for short) offers a fast, efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution.

Quick construction

Usually prefabricated in a factory and delivered fully-formed to the school site, classroom buildings constructed using modular SIPs panels are ideally suited to busy schools. Although the factory line approach suggests a rigid and uniform construction process, SIPs panel construction is in fact a flexible method – schools don’t have to stick to a one-size-fits-all template but can work with architects to design a classroom building that will meet their needs.

Importantly for schools requiring urgent refurbishment, the off-site construction method has several advantages that can help schools to get their new buildings up and running speedily.

Classrooms prefabricated using SIPs panels can be constructed and installed in a matter of weeks, because the site preparation work and off-site construction stages can be carried out simultaneously. With the prefabrication process taking place under cover, the project can go ahead whatever the weather. And by reducing the amount of time spent on-site, noisy and disruptive building work that might interrupt the school day can also be kept to a minimum.

Cost savings

A building project that is quick to complete and does not involve intrusive construction work translates into cost savings for the school – a vital concern in these cash-strapped times. Modular buildings are likely to provide a better return on investment than traditional builds. With excellent insulation properties, construction using SIPs panels also results in lower energy bills, because the classrooms retain warmth well and require only minimal heating.

For schools looking to the long term, durability is an important concern. Built using high quality, sustainable materials, modular SIPs panel classrooms can be expected to serve the school for as many as 50 years – providing a solution that offers real value for money and can be relied upon to last well into the future. (Modular buildings can even be uprooted and installed at another site, if the school relocates).

Comfortable learning spaces

Why is the state of our school buildings such an important issue? As well as being a potential health and safety concern, constructing comfortable learning spaces is vital for both teachers and pupils. According to a 2016 RIBA survey reported by Building Specifier, as many as 1 in 5 teachers have thought about leaving a school because of the environment they have to work in. So, creating a pleasant teaching space is high on the list if schools are to improve staff morale and retain valued teachers.

Learning environments can have a big impact on outcomes for children, too. From issues like lighting and air quality to factors like natural light and classroom structure, pupils do better in well-designed classrooms built from high quality materials.

Classroom construction using SIPS panels helps to address some of these issues, resulting in comfortable learning spaces that promote better engagement from all classroom users. Due to their structure and composition, SIPs panels offer excellent thermal performance, eliminating draughts and keeping out the cold and damp. The slimline profile of a SIPs panel also means thinner walls – and therefore more space inside the classroom. Finally, modular buildings constructed from SIPs panels have an aesthetically pleasing, modern appearance.

 

Author biography

Steve Warr is the Director of Green Modular, a company which supplies unique and environmentally-friendly outdoor modular buildings as effective space solutions. Each modular building can be tailored to suit every space or budget and they are perfect for school buildings, mobile classrooms, meeting rooms or offices. Steve is passionate about the environment and creating sustainable and stylish solutions for extra space.

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Government calls on industry to embrace offsite

Ministers today called on industry to embrace the latest innovations to make sure we are building the good quality homes that our country needs.

As part of the government’s focus on fixing the broken housing market and its ambition of delivering 300,000 new homes in England by the mid-2020s, it’s essential that the quality and design of new housing is addressed. This can help secure support from communities for new homes, and make sure we have good quality homes that people can feel proud living in and next-door to.

Recent research shows that more than 7 out of 10 people would support new residential development if buildings are well-designed and in keeping with their local area.

Action to boost innovative approaches for well-designed new homes include:

£1 billion investment through the Home Building Fund to develop new, modern approaches to design and construction

To date, 8 projects across 11 local authorities, backed by government funding, will use modern methods of construction such as modular homes to build good quality homes, using the latest techniques, whilst helping to speed up housing delivery.

Learning from other countries like Australia, Norway and Sweden where good design is embedded in decision making

For example, based on an Australian model, the government will urge councils to set their own design quality standards, giving communities the ability to better reflect their own unique character in local planning policy.

Embracing new technologies

For example using Virtual Reality (VR) technology to win the confidence of communities before a single brick is laid. By visualising proposed new housing from the neighbour or homebuyer’s perspective, communities will be able to see how development can visually contribute to the area from an early stage, even before planning permission has been granted.

Housing Secretary Sajid Javid said “Our homes are the making of all of us, which is why today’s event on raising the bar on the quality of new homes is so important.

“This government is determined to make sure that high quality design is the norm rather than the exception.”

Housing Minister Dominic Raab added “We are putting high-quality design on the map as never before when it comes to building better homes and stronger communities.

“Today’s conference marks an important milestone in that journey.”

Industry leaders, including local authority planners, developers and design professionals, attended the Design Quality Conference to share their expertise to ensure how homes look becomes just as important as the number delivered.

Ministers made it clear that they intend to focus on how developers can use better quality design in order to win over both communities and new generations of first-time buyers, who expect the highest quality homes before parting with their hard-earned deposits.

When things go wrong, the government has also proposed strengthening ways for homebuyers to complain when their home hasn’t been built satisfactorily – with these new measures recently being subject to a consultation.

The event will build on previous government action to ensure new homes are built using quality materials and design methods, as set out in the recently published draft National Planning Policy Framework.

The document, which is currently out to consultation, outlines requirements for design guides and codes to feature prominently in new Local Plans, significant consideration to be given to existing local character as well as setting out the density of developments that meet the needs and expectations of the community.

The conference also included speakers from the Royal Institute of British Architects, Stephen Lawrence Trust, The Princes Foundation, Historic England and Homes England as well as other experts with experience in delivering excellent build quality for new and existing communities.

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