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up of reconstituted stone and plastic, which is quick and easy to install and hardwearing for the end users. “It’s looking at the impacts your choice of material has not only for the construction process but the benefits to the end user.”
They also make use of spray plastering, which is quicker to apply, dries faster and requires less painting over. Everything used on the project are things Craddock says developers may be using already in isolation: “The difference is we’ve combined all of them with a very efficient build system and process,” he says. The speed at which builds can happen is an element the industry needs to be prepared for, he believes, so as not to get caught out with procurement. “You need to reshape your procurement and programmes to improve the process and output and maximise on the value of MMC,” he says.
The new owners of the homes have embraced the technology installed, which Craddock says is simple to use. “People can make it out to be complex but it’s just a change of mindset.” Not expecting too much from the buyers was part of the reason they opted not to aim for assivhaus certification. didnt want to put MVHR in because for it to be efficient, filters need to be changed the house needs to be operated and sealed in a certain fashion. This way they don’t need to live their life in a different way,” he says.
RECOGNITION & AWARENESS As well as using it for their own developments, the factory manufactures frames for other developers, contractors and housing associations. It encompasses a showroom of sorts, as well as the manufacturing element, which showcases various products VerdeGO offer and use. “We use that as an educational facility to talk people through the whole process, all the different products that we use, and the output you get once you use them,” Craddock explains. “It’s not just about buying a frame, it’s about trying to educate people about sustainable, low energy, low carbon building.” Building small local factories as part of large scale developments also keeps the money within the local community – another of Craddock’s drivers. “I want to build local homes for local people using local labour,” he says. “You’re also educating and training people in new skills.”
Craddock is passionate about the industry catching up with what he calls “building in the 21st century.” He believes the construction industry is bogged down by the way things have always been done, because of familiarity and ease, and while
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these methods will always have their place, MMC is the future. “We’re being so much more mindful now of our whole house carbon emissions,” he says. “By having these projects, it shows it can be and is being done, and it can be scalable.” He believes that MMC actually derisks the whole build process. “You still have that A to Z of construction – you start with an open field and hand over a set of keys but its reshufing it, he says. “You concertina jobs into one, reducing the number of items and therefore the element of risk.”
The company is currently looking at a development of 49 units near Cambridge, and are working with a housing association on supplying the superstructure for a development of 80 houses. To really get people to consider MMC, he believes recognition and awareness is vital. The project has won several awards, including WhatHouse? Awards 2021 Best Small Housebuilder and Best Sustainable Development, and the British Homes Awards 2021 Sustainable Development of the Year. It also helped form part of the Future Homes Standard specification. Recognition is important, says Craddock. “It enabled us to create a demonstrator model that others can look at and reference.”
Further validation has come from a report by Leeds Beckett University and independent assessor Build Test Solutions, which found that VerdeGo timber frame houses performed up to 22% better on in-use energy performance versus that predicted by SAP. This is compared with “traditionally built homes” which the test found performed 59% worse than SAP predictions. In addition, energy bills on the timber frame VerdeGO houses were 50% less than a house with an air source heat hump, according to the Heat ransfer oefficient study, which was undertaken over a three week period in winter.
he overall area has benefitted from the proect with the addition of the ood defences, as well as the creation of the brewery and pub. The current residents are very happy, and with the final phases residents set to be the first to have walked in the area since 1750, Craddock says overall it’s a “special place. It’s such a unique spot.” With the project nearing its end, Craddock looks back on it fondly. “It’s been a really long journey, but one that I’m eminently proud of,” he says. “We’ve been able to demonstrate that using MMC and being aware of sustainable housebuilding systems and technologies is something we can all do. This is a standard everyone can aspire to, and everyone can benefit from.
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