Industry News

Government urged by MPs to ‘act fast’ with offsite construction

17th August 2019

A panel of MPs has urged ministers to 'act fast' to create the conditions for a new style of prefabricated housebuilding if they want to stand any chance of meeting its ambitious targets The Housing, Communities and Local...

Patalab Architecture win approval for 'world's tallest' shipping container building

16th August 2019

Patalab Architecture has won approval for what it claims will be, on completion, the tallest building in the world made from shipping containers Approved this week by Tower Hamlets council, the nine-storey office development in...

Offsite specialist McAvoy suffers £1.8m loss

16th August 2019

Offsite construction specialist McAvoy Group has fallen into the red after being hit by project delays. Directors reported revenue down by a quarter to £45m last year. This saw the 217-employee firm suffer an £1.8m loss...

Improving skills for housing delivery

16th August 2019

The recent news that the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is pumping £1.2million into offsite construction teaching materials including those for ‘virtual or immersive environments’ follows its recent report into the ongoing...

Banks’ appetite to lend threatens offsite take-up, warns major landlord

15th August 2019

Fiona Fletcher-Smith, group director development and sales at L&Q, told delegates at the Chartered Institute of Housing's annual conference in Manchester that the progress of offsite would be halted if banks were nervous about offering...

Offsite Must Be Considered to Hit Housing Targets

15th August 2019

The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has warned the Government that an overreliance on traditional building methods will see the UK fall far short of its target to build 300,000 new homes a year by mid-2020s. ...

What can MMC do for the housing crisis?

14th August 2019

The government's target of building 300,000 homes every year is putting pressure on the construction industry to rethink building methods. The National House Building Council estimates that around 10% of new homes built in 2015 used modern...

Are lenders becoming more confident about offsite?

14th August 2019

There is considerable enthusiasm in some quarters of the construction industry around the widescale adoption of so-called modern methods of construction (MMC) and offsite manufacturing generally. In the housing sector in particular, the...

Metal Box Factory Revamped

14th August 2019

The iconic Metal Box factory in Neath, an important part of the local economy for more than 80 years, is now operational again for the first time in almost four years. Local councillors were given a tour of the site to mark the occasion and be...

Derry group to deliver three rapid-build projects for Dublin

13th August 2019

"Offsite construction and other modern methods are gradually being embraced by the industry and, going forward, we envisage this will certainly be more prevalent - for the most part to control the risk of increased labour costs and eliminate...

Balfour Beatty Awarded £37M Hospital Contract

13th August 2019

Balfour Beatty has been awarded a £37million contract to deliver two community hospital facilities in Scotland on behalf of hub North Scotland, Badenoch & Strathspey Community Hospital and Health Care Centre in Aviemore and the Skye,...

Atkins’ MetroHome arm appoints new director

12th August 2019

Atkins has appointed former Morgan Sindall Investments director, Nick Towe as commercial director to drive its development arm, MetroHome Nick Towe joins Atkins from Morgan Sindall Investments, where he played a key role in forming the...

Just in time - thanks to Tekla and modular construction

12th August 2019

Intelligent Steel Solutions Ltd (formerly known as Icarus LSF) used modular methods during the construction of Vita Student Westgate, as well as Trimble's Tekla software to assist with the designing and manufacturing of the building. ...

Blackburn Housing Boost

12th August 2019

Seventy three affordable modular homes are to be created close to Blackburn town centre as part of a deal between Places for People and Homes England. Funded through Places for People's Strategic Partnership with Homes England, the development...

Reds10 Reading school offsite build adds up for Berkeley

12th August 2019

Reds10 claims its modular scheme in the heart of a new residential quarter in Reading has made big cost saving compared with traditional methods. Scheme: Green Park Village Primary School, Reading Main...

Can modular housing solve the housing crisis?

11th August 2019

In its first paper of 2019, Bruceshaw explores how in order for modular housing to truly boost the residential sector, we must change the mindset people have on prefabrication Modular housing in design offers flexibility and...

Beautiful Building

11th August 2019

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder – a phrase that neatly sums up the work of the government advisory Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission. Elaine Toogood, Senior Architect, The Concrete Centre, illustrates how concrete helps...

CLT – it's here to stay

11th August 2019

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) has been the timber industry’s game changer since its conception and for good reason, yet the unpredictable events of the last couple of years show some refinement of the system is required. Rupert Scott, TRADA’s...

It All Stacks Up for ilke

11th August 2019

ilke Homes has launched a guide explaining how factory-built homes for families and young professionals could ease the housing crisis. Speaking at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) conference in Manchester on 25 June, Dave Sheridan,...

Is the industry ready for offsite?

10th August 2019

Leading housing professionals discuss offsite construction and the challenges in making the jump. Could 2019 be the year that offsite construction finally takes off in the UK? Certainly, it has rarely been out of the...

Norbord Explain Challenges to Gove

10th August 2019

Secretary of State for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs, the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, met with one of the UK's leading wood panel producers to hear about the challenges they're facing sourcing their main raw material. Gove was given a guided...

The return of offsite construction

9th August 2019

Though not a new idea, recent government reports and the housing shortage have brought renewed interest in offsite as an alternative to traditional building methods and consultancy WSP is already seeing the increased use of offsite...

A game changing moment for modular construction

9th August 2019

Last issue we reported on the world’s tallest modular hotel nearing completion in New York City (NYC). We follow up with a quick overview of the 6th Avenue Marriott AC NoMAD approach by Henry Mickleburgh, Executive Vice President at Skystone...

CITB Agrees Offsite Funding

9th August 2019

CITB has agreed £1.2million funding for two projects that will increase the skills capacity for this growing sector in education, for school leavers and among industry trainers. The projects are being led by the Construction Scotland Innovation...

Offsite progression and the shift towards modular technology

8th August 2019

Jackie Maginnis, chief executive of MPBA, discusses the shift away from traditional methods of construction towards modular technology The government and the wider public sector are the biggest clients of the construction industry. Evidence...

Cladding: Expertise and engineering

8th August 2019

Andrew Way, Associate Director at the Steel Construction Institute (SCI), discusses issues surrounding light steel framing with continuous masonry cladding. Masonry cladding is commonly used on load-bearing light steel framed buildings....

Mini factory to showcase ‘high-end’ offsite manufacture

7th August 2019

A prototype robotic production line that will demonstrate how standardised offsite components could be manufactured for schools and housing is being developed in Coventry. The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), the...

Costa Del Sol gets offsite makeover

7th August 2019

AEDAS Homes, a leading publicly traded homebuilder in Spain, has just launched its latest modular project – Vanian Valley. Designed to respond to its exceptional natural surroundings and views of the Mediterranean Sea, Vanian Valley is...

DfE starts bid race for £3bn offsite schools framework

6th August 2019

The Department for Education has started the hunt for firms to deliver its next-generation offsite schools framework using Design For Manufacture and Assembly. Selected firms will be used for a new pipeline of both primary and...

CITB invests £1.2m to boost offsite construction skills

6th August 2019

CITB has agreed £1.2m funding for two offsite construction projects that will increase the skills capacity for this expanding sector in education, for school leavers and among industry trainers As a result of this investment,...

A vision of the future

5th August 2019

When it comes to offsite manufacturing, collaboration is king, says Dave Sheridan, Executive Chairman of ilke Homes, whose firm is at the forefront of delivering quality housing via offsite manufacture. British construction has...

Offsite Expo - the catalyst for change

5th August 2019

From Rethinking Construction (1998) to the acclaimed Modernise or Die report, the need to improve the construction industry has been well documented for many years. The political landscape is changing, spurred on by climate change, the housing...

Controlling flow in a digital river

2nd August 2019

Faced with the problem of having to explain a complicated notion it is sometimes helpful to draw on an analogy. Graham Cleland, Director at Berkeley Modular, applies this thinking to the design and build cycle and effective operation and...

Transforming construction through collaboration and innovation

2nd August 2019

The results of the Seismic Consortium have been unveiled and have been hailed as a trailblazer for transforming construction. Richard Crosby, Director of construction consultants blacc, describes how this pioneering consortium could transform the...

Citizen delivers first modular homes for tenants

2nd August 2019

Two homes have been installed in Coventry for housing association after being factory-built The first modular homes to be produced for Citizen, the housing association formerly known as WM Housing, have been delivered to a site in...

Use MMC or miss 300,000 homes-a-year target, say MPs

31st July 2019

Influential committee of Parliamentarians urges ministers to grasp the modern methods of construction nettle. The government is in danger of letting slip its target of 300,000 homes being built annually by the middle of the next...

New rules to design by

31st July 2019

EOS recently hosted one of our regular roundtable events - at the heart of the discussion was design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA), the growth of digital design and how these new tools are playing a huge part in the growth of offsite...

Changing housing perceptions

31st July 2019

Swan Housing Association is leading the way on modular housing and recently launched their own Modular Design Guide based on their learning from launching their own volumetric modular housing factory. A housing association with a...

Shaping the future of UK advanced manufacturing

31st July 2019

With manufacturing going through a technological revolution, the flagship research facility at the University of Nottingham has been developed to help future-proof UK industry in a competitive global market. Siemens UK CEO, Juergen Maier...

Countryside To Open Two More Modular Homes Factories

31st July 2019

Housebuilder to expand its offsite operations with new plants in the Midlands and the South-east. Countryside Properties plans to ramp up its offsite housing activity by opening two new factories to build modular homes, taking its potential...

Transformational Timber

17th July 2019

Professor Alex de Rijke, Founding Director, dRMM Architects – one of the UK's leading architectural practices – have been at the forefront of timber construction for many years. Here, he outlines why engineered timber is so essential to...

Bricks & mortar - going the way of the dinosaurs

17th July 2019

Amid stagnating housebuilding levels and the financial roadblocks faced by many trying to buy, the UK needs to embrace a new method of constructing homes. Joseph Daniels, Chief Executive of Project Etopia has ambitious plans to change the ways...

Doing more - better - faster

17th July 2019

Citu is successfully and rapidly building a carbon negative housing development in Leeds – the first family homes to be constructed in the city centre for more than 90 years. Jonathan Wilson, Development Director, Citu explains more about offsite...

Modular makeover at RSPCA Radcliffe

17th July 2019

Integra Buildings has completed construction of the £1.1million, state-of-the-art rehoming and education centre at the RSPCA animal shelter in Radcliffe-onTrent, Nottinghamshire. The centre will provide greatly improved facilities for staff,...

Room at the top

17th July 2019

Rooftop developments and exploitation of 'airspace' is a way that offsite methods and volumetric modular delivery can deliver a new dimension to the housing market especially in high density locations. When property consultancy...

Building better high-rise

17th July 2019

Tall buildings present unique challenges in terms of design and construction. The sheer scale of these mega-towers demand unique engineering solutions. Those who are shaping our city skylines congregated at 99 City Road London, at...

Assessing the performance of modular housing

15th July 2019

Assessments are carried out by warranty bodies or qualified test laboratories. The assessment often consists of a desk study that checks the design life and performance of the individual elements that makeup the system. Assessments do not always...

New frame slab insulation for offsite construction

15th July 2019

The Timber Frame Slab and Steel Frame Slab stone wool solutions are specifically designed to help developers take advantage of the many performance characteristics associated with ROCKWOOL noncombustible insulation, alongside a quick-to-install,...

All set for Southampton

15th July 2019

When main contractor Galliford Try needed the perfect cladding solution for a new landmark development in Southampton, they turned to Aquarian Cladding Systems for help. The external cladding supplier's Gebrik brick cladding system was...

Guidance on building regulations: Approved document B:2018

15th July 2019

These amendments came into force on 21 December 2018 and of particular relevance to membrane specifiers and installers is a clarification to Regulation 7, which requires most components used in external walls over 18m to meet Euroclass A1 or A2....

A brilliant solution for today's market

15th July 2019

Using offsite construction processes, Sapphire Balconies bridges the years to deliver balconies embodying quality craftsmanship and time-saving processes to today’s construction sites. It’s often said that balconies add visual and lifestyle...

‘Flight’ connections at Manchester Airport

15th July 2019

Manchester Airports Group (MAG) is undertaking a transformation programme that will position the airport as a ‘Global Gateway’, offering more routes and creating increased economic growth in line with aviation forecasts. As part of...

The local material with offsite credentials

15th July 2019

Precast concrete products are readily available from factories located around the UK. Bespoke units, made to order, can also be manufactured, although lead time should be allowed for design and manufacturing of bespoke units. The UK concrete...

Hybrid expertise at offsite expo

15th July 2019

As the UK's leading sustainable engineered timber specialist, B&K Structures is creating ground-breaking award-winning structures with outstanding green credentials. Their progressive approach reduces environmental impact and improves build...

Offsite expo - evidencing excellence

15th July 2019

Offsite technology is hailed as the solution to resolving some of the most challenging problems facing the construction industry, most notably the shortfall in UK housing supply. The offsite manufacturing arena, especially structural timber...

A swiftpan response for Swansea University

12th July 2019

Modular buildings specialist Wernick have been appointed to deliver a new teaching facility for Swansea University at its prestigious Bay Campus. A two-storey, 60-module building will be built using the latest innovations in offsite and modular...

MPBA - promoting the benefits of modular

12th July 2019

As the most efficient offsite building technique for timber, steel and concrete designs – volumetric modular systems that deliver at scale and increase productivity, are very much in demand. MPBA Chief Executive, Jackie Maginnis, explains...

Set for scale

12th July 2019

The UK construction sector is a strategically significant part of the UK economy. Representing around 6% of GDP and 10% of employment, every year an estimated £150billion is invested through the public and private sectors. The sector...

Hertfordshire IQ to Boost Offsite Manufacturing

12th July 2019

In a move to become the UK's leading place for green businesses, Hertfordshire IQ aims to boost the offsite industry with the development of three million square feet of new commercial space, ideally placed for offsite manufacturers and its...

£500m CCS Modular Drive Picking up Partners

12th July 2019

Integra Buildings has been named as a supplier for the Government's newly-launched Modular Buildings Solutions framework - a four-year drive to deliver construction projects for the public sector. The ground-breaking modular...

AECOM and NTU Renew Partnership

12th July 2019

The successful strategic partnership between Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and global infrastructure services firm AECOM has been renewed. The partnership has involved joint research such as testing new materials’ properties for use in 3D...

Morley Street Mill Looks to Offsite

12th July 2019

Fusion Building Systems, the offsite manufacturer of light gauge steel frames has been awarded a contract by Solus Homes to provide a two-storey superstructure for the renovation of Morley Street Mill in Loughborough, Leicestershire. ...

Sevenoaks Modular Invest £6.5m in Metal Box Site

12th July 2019

Sevenoaks Modular, a Neath-based specialist in timber frame construction, aims to invest £6.5million in acquiring and regenerating a large part of an iconic industrial site in Neath. The old Metal Box factory site will undergo a renovation...

ilke Homes Sets up New Development Team

12th July 2019

Modular homes specialist ilke Homes has set up its own national development team to offer high-quality housing end-to-end – from land purchase through to planning and delivery. The new team will be headed up by Ben Miller, who joins from...

CSIC & STA Partner to Boost Timber Innovation

12th July 2019

Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) and the Structural Timber Association (STA) have announced they are joining forces to support structural timber businesses across the UK to innovate and grow. The partnership will build on...

Heathrow Offsite Hubs Edge Closer

12th July 2019

Heathrow has announced the names and locations of the 18 shortlisted sites that remain in the running to help deliver the expanded airport, signalling the project has reached a new and significant milestone on its path to delivery. The...

Goldman Sachs Invests £75m in TopHat

12th July 2019

TopHat, the UK’s leader in technology-driven modular housing manufacturing, recently announced a £75m capital investment by Goldman Sachs. Founded in early 2016, TopHat commenced production in early 2018 at its state-of-the-art manufacturing...

Modular Eco-building for Kent Holiday Resort

12th July 2019

Oxfordshire based Green Unit have installed their ARC™ eco-building at the environmentally-conscious, self-catering holiday resort, Great Field Farm, near Canterbury. The premium eco-building, known as the Green Unit ARC™, was manufactured...

Caledonian secures £25m Wembley student accommodation project

12th July 2019

Caledonian, working with Bowmer + Kirkland, has been awarded a £25m contract to manufacture the accommodation modules as part of a £54m development for the University Campus of Football Business, First Way Campus in Wembley. ...

Sekisui House Moves into UK

12th July 2019

Japan's biggest housebuilder has moved into the UK housing market after striking a multi-million pound deal that will see it work with Homes England and Urban Splash to deliver thousands of new homes across England. Sekisui House – one of the...

Modular homes set to reign in Spain

11th July 2019

AEDAS Homes, a leading listed homebuilder in Spain and the first to bet on offsite construction as a value-making proposition, has recently launched its second large-scale modular development, Etheria, in El Cañaveral, an up-and-coming area in...

APPG for the Timber Industries launches inquiry into housing

11th July 2019

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Timber Industries has launched an inquiry into how timber can help solve the housing crisis. The House of Commons Library has estimated that between 240,000 and 340,000 new homes need...

Slow MMC housing uptake risks 300,000 homes target

9th July 2019

Government must ramp up efforts to promote modern methods of construction in housing supply or it will fall far short of its target to build 300,000 homes a year by mid-2020s. That is the warning from its Housing Committee, which is...

Sadiq Khan launches offsite housing app

8th July 2019

New technology backed by big names including L&G and Greystar A new app sponsored by London mayor Sadiq Khan could shave weeks off the early design stage for offsite-manufactured homes, according to one of its creators. ...

Modular manufacturing guide launched at CIH to help housing associations build homes in factories

5th July 2019

• ilke Homes brings together experts for guide [download here] on factory-built homes • Huge opportunity to improve quality of affordable housing • Guide outlines considerations for where modular works best ilke...

Ikea moves in on UK housing

5th July 2019

Ikea could be building homes in the UK after a council in the south of England agreed to work with a developer owned by the flat-pack retailer. Worthing Council is considering a deal with BoKlok, owned by Ikea and construction company...

App to assess sites for modular housing launched

5th July 2019

A smart phone app that allows developers and housing associations to assess their sites for the viability of offsite housing has launched. The free-to-use app, developed by design practice Bryden Wood, has been created for the...

Barratt buys timber frame firm to boost offsite

5th July 2019

Housebuilder Barratt has bought timber frame manufacturer Oregon Timber Frame as it attempts to fulfil its pledge to build at least 20% of its homes using an element of modern methods of construction by 2020. Oregon is already...

Iconic Metal Box Factory In Neath Starts Production Again After Hiatus

5th July 2019

The iconic Metal Box factory in Neath, an important part of the local economy for more than 80 years, is now operational again for the first time in almost four years. Local councillors were given a tour of the site to mark the occasion and...

Offsite, on trend - why volumetric modular construction is the future

5th July 2019

There's huge pressure for construction to find offsite solutions to boost its productivity and meet the housing and infrastructure needs of the country. Government departments now have a presumption in favour of offsite solutions and yet take-up has...

MPs urge faster pick-up of modern methods of construction

5th July 2019

The government risks falling short of its pledge to deliver 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s if the construction industry sticks to traditional methods, a report by the housing, communities and local government committee has...

Boost for modular housing construction

5th July 2019

Modular housing work is gaining pace with a series of new deals that are providing a boost for offsite manufacturing in the residential sector. Ilke Homes has won what is believed to be the biggest single modular housing contract...

Structural Timber Awards– Finalists Announced

3rd July 2019

The team at B&K Structures and their construction partners are celebrating success at the Structural Timber Awards with no less than nine entries reaching the finals across six categories! Andy Goodwin, Managing...

Barratt buys timber frame specialist

28th June 2019

Barratt Developments has bought one of the UK's largest timber frame manufacturers. Selkirk, Scotland based Oregon Timber Frame Limited is currently one of Barratt's key timber frame suppliers. Barratt has a...

Housing Association Deputy Chief Executive receives OBE in Queen’s Birthday Honours list

25th June 2019

Alan Yates, Accord's Deputy Chief Executive, has been recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours list 2019. Alan has been awarded an OBE for his services to housing. This highly prestigious award has been bestowed on Alan in...

SPSenvirowall Shortlisted at the INCA Awards 2019

25th June 2019

At SPSenvirowall, we are pleased to announce our shortlisting in three categories at the INCA Awards 2019. We are proud to have been shortlisted for these awards as over the past ten years, SPSenvirowall has demonstrated a continuous...

‘Extreme' Wall membranes deliver class W1 performance for severely exposed sites

24th June 2019

Protect Membranes, UK producer of construction and roofing membranes, has introduced two new waterproof breather membranes designed for use externally on timber frame, SIPs and CLT wall panels, achieving a Class W1 resistance to water...

Hertfordshire IQ to Boost Offsite Manufacturing

24th June 2019

In a move to become the UK's leading place for green businesses, Hertfordshire IQ aims to boost the offsite industry with the development of three million square feet of new commercial space, ideally placed for offsite manufacturers and its...

A swiftplan response for Swansea University

24th June 2019

Modular buildings specialist Wernick have been appointed to deliver a new teaching facility for Swansea University at its prestigious Bay Campus. A two-storey, 60-module building will be built using the latest innovations in offsite and...

Identify every R&D opportunity

24th June 2019

MCS are an independent consultancy helping businesses and institutions to access the government grants and incentives they're entitled to. Could your company qualify for widely available funding? From R&D claims, Patent Box to...

Collaboration will drive the offsite steel frame industry forward

24th June 2019

With the recent 2019 - 2025 Global Light Gauge Steel Framing Market Report showing a continued rise in the price of steel over the next six years, the time is right for the industry to unite and join forces. Created to meet...

Arup calls for planning system overhaul to exploit MMC

17th June 2019

Current regime "too rigid and unaccommodating", says consultant The UK's planning system needs a radical shake-up if the country is to truly take advantage of the benefits of modern methods of construction, according to a...

West Midlands Mayor tours modular factory

17th June 2019

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, visited Totally Modular's factory in Cradley Heath to view potential solutions to the housing shortage and homelessness Andy Street was recently taken on a guided tour of a West...

If offsite construction is to work for us, we need to get the logistics right

17th June 2019

Without this, we will never entirely realise the full potential for maximum productivity Logistics is not "sexy" - it is seldom the element of work that receives top billing or the limelight. However, logistics is the area...

Ilke Homes modular director raids Crest Nicholson for former staff

17th June 2019

Modular homes specialist Ilke Homes has poached two Crest Nicholson employees to join their former boss Ben Miller. Mr Miller, who spent 15 years at the housebuilder prior to joining Ilke as group managing director, has...

Stakeholders hear how AIMCH project will revolutionise how homes are built

17th June 2019

Industry leaders and stakeholders recently joined together to learn more about the AIMCH project. This is a collaborative project with the ambition to deliver high quality offsite homes faster, more reliably and at the same cost of...

Engaging with the challenges of offsite

17th June 2019

The industry is starting to recognise the potential of modern methods of construction (MMC) and, in particular, offsite manufacturing. The House of Lords summed up the potential gains in a report produced last year through the Science and...

£500m needed to reach offsite target according to Arcadis

17th June 2019

Arcadis' UK construction market view for spring 2019 claims it will cost £500m to meet government's offsite target of delivering 10 per cent of industry output. According to the report - titled Treading Water - offsite currently...

Homes England agrees first wave of strategic partnerships to ramp up building of affordable homes

17th June 2019

Homes England confirms landmark deals with eight housing associations. First wave will deliver 14,280 additional affordable homes. Deals come after CEO Nick Walkley called for a new sector partnership with Government. Homes England has...

RCM invests in own transport

14th June 2019

RCM have recently purchased their own branded delivery vehicle in order to guarantee a better service to their customers. RCM, the complete though wall solutions provider, have invested in their own company delivery vehicle in order to...

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