APPOINTMENTS & NEWS 5


The benefits on show


There are a plethora of benefits that can come from modular construction, and the positive impact it has on residents, the environment, and businesses. With most of the construction itself undertaken in a factory environment the time on site is significantly reduced, easing traffic, dust, and noise disruptions to both residents and the local area. Storage of materials is not an issue, and work can continue without disruption of weather conditions and being able to get homes finished internally in a factory setting ensures a greater consistency and quality. With recycling being undertaken throughout the build process there is a significant minimisation of site waste, and the way technology is embraced reduces human error, so less snagging issues when installed. Technology itself cultivates further positives; the speed of production equates to much needed homes being available sooner. Modular is an innovative solution for infill or extremely tight residential sites, as well as being extremely effective when looking at the regeneration of large urban housing estates. One of the major challenges a lot of housing associations and private developers face is decanting residents of dilapidated housing who don’t want to move away from their home area. Modular provides a comprehensive solution that allows homes to be built nearby, quickly, without disruption to residents, and can also make challenging sites more viable.


Mountearl Gardens, south London


established and there is no or limited accommodation for staff to live. This can be one of the biggest challenges that developers initially face in projects.


Future benefits


Using MMC reduces the amount of people onsite by 80% – with most of the work being carried out in the factory, and a number of factories can synchronise to deliver the modular at scale at the same time.


Modular construction can also help address the skills shortage in the industry. As production is streamlined within the factory, the risk of not being able to find the correct tradesperson is reduced. With AI now able to take over the time-consuming repetitive work that traditionally has been carried out by trained staff, we will be able to free up more skilled people and speed up the production of the homes. With carbon and sustainability targets high on the agenda, modular ticks these boxes with the minimised waste on site, higher percentage of recycling, reduction in carbon footprint on site and increased insulation to reduce bills for residents. What we need now to help us deliver the quality homes that are urgently needed is planners to embrace the many advantages of modular and as an industry we have to continue to change the perception it has in order to deliver the number of new homes that are needed.


Antony and Roderick, new afffordable rent scheme in Bermondsey, London SE1


Modular pocket-style accommodation has the ability to be constructed quickly in areas such as street car parking spaces on run down housing estates, and existing residents could be decanted into this new accommodation so that they don’t have to move out of the area. Once they have moved however, the wider works could begin on the rest of the estate. By understanding clients’ objectives, we can work with them, the sites and the modular product to provide opportunities to bring forward their projects and redevelopment.


Modular is not one thing There are many facets to modular, another being that it also lends itself well to remote sites across the globe where services are not


It is also imperative to move to making planning decisions within the statutory time frame of 8-13 weeks, so that projects can be financially planned and be realised. Unfortunately, this is not the case at the moment, and unknown timeframes and uncertainty over planning approval is causing issues within the industry. Looking at the need for modular going forward, we need to have more definite timeframes to allow for swift factory production, particularly during economic uncertainty, with rising inflation and interest rate; an unknown time frame can kill projects. Speeding up the planning process will not only help achieve the houses we need, but also have a wider positive impact on the economy, providing work for subcontractors through to large construction companies and all the professions involved in between. Modular isn’t the only answer for addressing the acute housing shortage, but it is a key piece of it.


Ayna Azhigali is associate director for HKR Architects


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