BUSINESS REPORT
A NEW WAY OF BUILDING HOMES
Building new homes in the same way that cars are made could be the post-Covid
social distancing solution that the house construction industry is looking for, says a leading UK architect. David Coles (pictured), a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects
and CEO of DCa Architects in Olney, near Milton Keynes, says the only way to keep up with rising demand for affordable homes is to construct them in the same ‘production line’ style that successfully allows car manufacturers to deliver thousands of vehicles every day. But importantly, it could also
reduce the amount of human interaction required to build a house, and would encourage better social distancing on building sites, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic that has rocked the construction industry. In a summary paper to the UK’s
‘THE RESULT OF THIS WOULD BE CLEANER AND
SAFER BUILDING SITES’
housing authorities David Coles says new houses could have diagnostics and fault-finding built in to them so that owners can keep a check on any problems and get them fixed, just like they would their car. DCa has already been looking at the way car maker MINI is able to build several versions of its models based on one platform, and has plans to research other manufacturers too, including Nissan, McLaren and Aston Martin.
David says homes can be pre-constructed and then put together on-site; each home would have its own 3D
‘virtual twin’ that monitors performance, use, maintenance and sustainability throughout its life – just like cars. Owners can order a ‘base model’ home and then choose from a list of options, including number of bedrooms, size of kitchen and power choices such as solar energy. “The result of this would be cleaner and safer building sites, where staff can remain safely apart from each other
wherever possible. It would also lead to fault-free homes and speedier construction, at a time when more people than ever need somewhere to live, and when the building industry is struggling to keep up with demand,” said David. “Vehicle makers have devised brilliant methods to design and build great cars very quickly and to customers’
specific demands, and there’s no reason why the construction industry shouldn’t do the same.” Visit:
www.colesarchitects.co.uk
MK Tech Fringe Co-Founder David Martin of Ether Solutions
MK TECH FRINGE BRINGS ATTENDEES TOGETHER ONLINE
MK Tech Fringe took place from 27 April to 3 May, as the first Milton Keynes Tech week. With the lockdown in place, all
events were online sessions which resulted in attendees from across the UK participating. With 17 sessions and five training
courses in the programme, a lot information was shared on a diverse range of topics including LinkedIn, social media, software robots, cyber security, mobile apps, ethics of AI and IT support. Some of the technical sessions
attracted a small group of specialists whereas some of the broader topics on social media had audiences of more than 100. A number of videos of sessions
are available on the MK Tech Fringe YouTube channel. Plans for 2021 include a mixture
of events and online sessions. Ether Solutions as one of the event founders will be supporting activities again next year.
Visit:
www.mktechfringe.org.uk
PRIDE OF MILTON KEYNES – CELEBRATING THE TOP UNSUNG HEROES OF OUR CITY
The winners of the first Milton
Keynes Unsung Hero Awards have been announced. “We wanted to recognise some
of the very many volunteers whose dedicated commitment over the years has kept our city going,” said mayor of Milton Keynes Sam Crooks, who launched the Awards. “Many of the nominations were
for excellent people but in positions where their achievements were already well-known. By contrast we were looking for those who have never received an award and wouldn’t expect any.” Due to the present crisis it will
not be possible to hold an awards ceremony as originally planned, but each winner will be posted a commemorative certificate signed by the mayor.
MAYOR’S AWARD Naseem Khan of Wolverton - for her work with providing skills training for women from disadvantaged social backgrounds, and her work supplying meals to homeless and vulnerable adults.
ARTS & CULTURE AWARD Ruth Panther - volunteer coordinator of Great Linford's Little 'Bookshop', a hub that brings the community together to enjoy activities.
CHARITY AND VOLUNTEERING AWARD Beryl Claydon – who, along with her team of volunteers, runs the Monday Lunch Club at Clifton Court in Olney, and also volunteers with the Willen Hospice Café in Newport Pagnell.
COMMUNITY AWARD Danny Quinn - of the Black Sheep Collective in Wolverton. His café donated £10,000 to the local community last year and £500 to a local primary school. Danny himself is personally involved in local litter picking and graffiti removal schemes.
DIVERSITY AWARD Laxman Kastala – of Oxley Park for his inclusive work with the Indian Community and other communities across MK, and as the founder of the DREAMSAI charity.
EDUCATION AWARD Mick Kemp - caretaker at Cold Harbour School in Bletchley. Due to retire soon, Mick is everything – plumber, cleaner, lunchtime supervisor, football referee – but especially a friend to all the children.
HEALTH AWARD David Willis – who has volunteered with St John Ambulance for 10 years, managing five youth units, attracting many first-time volunteers into the Service and, by opening new units, providing yet more volunteering spaces.
SPORT AWARD Carole-Jayne Cox – for her 35 years as a committee member and then Secretary of the Stantonbury Judo Club, ensuring that all the children have a safe space to train.
YOUNG ACHIEVER OF THE YEAR Saaed Nazir - of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association and a science teacher at St. Paul’s, for his work with the Milton Keynes Soup Run, the annual Poppy Appeal and planting trees in Milton Keynes.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 inbusiness 5
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