Industry News

2019 – THE YEAR MODULAR GOES MAINSTREAM

8th January 2019

Joseph Daniels, CEO of Project Etopia the luxury modular homes developer, looks at the challenges the housing shortage presents and how modular house building could solve many of these problems. There is a generation of people in...

Off-Site Construction Council releases industry survey results

8th January 2019

The National Institute of Building Sciences Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC) released its findings from the "Report of the Results of 2018 Off-Site Construction Industry Survey". On January 7, the National Institute of...

Offsite adoption marks a sea-change in construction's appetite for innovation

4th January 2019

Advanced manufacturing, automation, big data, and artificial intelligence are all transforming the way we work - with new modes of working enabled by technology shaping our world and creating new futuristic industry landscapes. Although...

Saint-Gobain acquires SIG Roofspace to deliver more off-site manufactured solutions for housebuilders

18th December 2018

Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland completed the acquisition of SIG Roofspace Solutions on the 14th December 2018. The business, set-up in 2008 provides a turn-key panelised roofing and room-in-roof solution to house builders. Mike...

Assessing the Performance of Prefabricated Components in Modular Buildings

18th December 2018

Much has been written about the performance of modular houses; each design is different and hence there is no standardisation of the interfaces. To add to this, composite panel construction does not fall under any recognised standard. As a...

Modular village to be built in Corby for London commuters

17th December 2018

Groundworks will start this month on a new modular village in Corby, Northants targeted at London commuters. The 47 homes will be built at Priors Hall Park by modular specialist Project Etopia who took over the site when a previous...

Homes England opts modular build specialist for south east base

17th December 2018

Homes England has chosen offsite construction specialist McAvoy Group to create its new south east office at the new town of Northstowe in Cambridgeshire. The government's housing agency, which is a leading...

Recruiting in December – Why you shouldn’t wait until the New Year

15th December 2018

There is a perception that January is the time people start to look for new jobs or start recruiting. December often gets classed as 'wind down time'. However, December can actually be a more rewarding time for employers to recruit. ...

Lords push for government commitment on offsite construction

13th December 2018

The chair of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee has called on the government to offer more concrete commitments to offsite construction, following a parliamentary debate yesterday. Peers gather for the debate in...

This is THE offsite technology event that you've been waiting for!

13th December 2018

Brought to you by the leading offsite sector media and events organisation - Radar Communications - in association with leading trade associations, media partners and online portals - here is the platform that the industry has been waiting for -...

Construction sector will struggle to meet UK housing demand, says report

13th December 2018

The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee report 'Offsite manufacture for construction: Building for change' warns that the construction sectors current operation cannot meet the UK's need for housing. The report also states...

Will offsite manufacturing leave the UK construction industry behind?

13th December 2018

A recent survey of UK construction executives by law firm Clyde & Co revealed very low investment to date in offsite manufacturing, and few expectations that offsite would have much impact within five to 10 years. The findings come...

Offsite specialist McAvoy wins UK-wide technology award

13th December 2018

Offsite construction specialist The McAvoy Group has won the Best Use of Technology category at the British Chamber of Commerce Awards in recognition of its pioneering work in digital construction technology. This award follows McAvoy's...

Lord Mair: Offsite manufacture has the potential to transform the construction industry

12th December 2018

New technologies such as offsite manufacture could considerably improve the productivity of the construction industry, says Lord Mair. On 12 December there will be a House of Lords debate taking note of the Report from the Science and...

Modular construction is not the only future

12th December 2018

We all know that the construction industry has issues, and frequently these boil down to us believing things should be delivered faster and cheaper. Progress, according to widely accepted thinking, lies in building more off site. In other words,...

Work has been completed on the concrete cores for the two tallest modular buildings in the world

12th December 2018

British developer Tide Construction, which at present has 1,500 residential units under construction throughout the Greater London area, was responsible for completing the work on the structures. The two towers, which have been designed...

Modular building specialist goes into administration

11th December 2018

Timber modular building specialist Carbon Dynamic has fallen into administration with the loss of 40 jobs. The Invergordon, Scotland based firm specialised in eco-friendly, low cost residential and commercial accommodation modules....

'World's tallest' modular towers reach construction milestone in Croydon

11th December 2018

Developer, Tide Construction has unveiled the world's tallest modular towers in Croydon, completing their core structures. Its offsite company, Vision Modular, is to install the fully-fitted modules around the concrete cores, using one...

UK’s tallest Premier Inn plan in Docklands

11th December 2018

Premier Inn has agreed to operate plans for a 400-bedroom hotel in London Docklands in what will be one of the largest Premier Inn hotels in the UK. Rockwell Property is developing the scheme for a 30-storey mixed hotel and residential...

Berkeley to begin modular home production from 2020

7th December 2018

Berkeley Group plans to start building modular homes from its factory in north Kent once the facility is operational in 2020. The housebuilder said the core building of the factory (pictured) is expected to be completed next year, with...

Why the Government is right to embrace modular

7th December 2018

Modular buildings have come a long way since the maligned post-war era, when the UK saw a glut of quick-build housing developed in a short period of time. As a result of their perceived poor quality, 'pre-fab' became a much-derided term, with...

The offsite technologies Morgan Sindall is embracing

6th December 2018

Construction may be have been slow to adopt new technology but the advance of offsite manufacturing means that the pace of innovation is finally accelerating, explains David Rowsell, area director for Northern Home Counties, Morgan Sindall...

The social housing shortfall will allow the government to back MMC

5th December 2018

Housing crisis headlines focus overwhelmingly on rising prices keeping people off the property ladder, but seldom mention the scarcity of social housing which is leading to spiralling inequality across the country. Recent social housing...

Coventry trial modular construction to tackle housing crisis

5th December 2018

In a bid to ease the City's housing crisis, Coventry is set to pilot modular construction, agreed in a joint project between Coventry City Council and Whitefriars Housing. Whitefriars Housing is set to pilot modular construction in...

Barratt Homes & Stewart Milne continue to deliver offsite construction

5th December 2018

The two companies joined forces to deliver sustainable housing through alternative offsite methods of construction. In order to deliver an increased volume of houses to meet market demand, Barratt Developments initiated a review to find...

Virtual reality to revolutionise UK’s construction sector

4th December 2018

Virtual reality, digital design and offsite manufacturing technologies are the future of UK construction thanks to £72 million investment from the government. the new £72 million Core Innovation Hub, as...

Hunt for smart motorway trio to deliver £7bn plan using offsite construction

3rd December 2018

Highways England is advancing plans to deliver all the smart motorway programme through a single alliance arrangement. Radical plans to adopt a full alliance model for all smart motorway work are now underway with bids being invited to...

astudio Pursing a New Image

30th November 2018

Modular appears to have a slight branding problem – a critical shame, as it could have a transformative effect on UK housing. Richard Hyams, Director at astudio, is part of a new wave of...

'UK housebuilding revolution': £65,000 prefab homes go into production

30th November 2018

Two Yorkshire factories try to tackle housing crisis with modular two and three-bedroom homes The Ilke homes are bolted together on site, with the record for assembling a property standing at 36 hours. Photograph: Ilke Homes ...

Offsite manufacturer achieves Premier approval

29th November 2018

As offsite methods of construction become increasingly popular, light gauge steel superstructure manufacturer Fusion Building Systems has achieved approval of its patented panelised system from Premier Guarantee. Following an...

The future of Offsite: A way to build for the future? Look no further than modular

29th November 2018

With new technologies dominating most sectors, housing appears to be the last bastion when it comes to change. Futurebuild gives the industry a chance to look at feasible ways of incorporating advanced methods of construction, not just...

Modular Housing: A 60-Year Lifetime and Then What?

29th November 2018

Much discussion has been made within the offsite sector about achieving a 60-year lifetime design (equating to two mortgage spans) for modular housing, but what happens after this? If we assume that a prospective purchaser obtains a 30-year...

Demonstrating Digital Design

29th November 2018

Over the past few years, specialist offsite design and build contractor PCE has developed a unique offering for its clients with its HybriDfMA structural frames system which combines the benefits of precast concrete, structural steelwork and...

Prototype offsite house can be built in a single day

29th November 2018

An offsite construction firm has unveiled a prototype of a house that it claims can be assembled on site in just one day. The McAvoy Group has developed the house at its factory in Lisburn in Northern Ireland to showcase the potential...

Saint-Gobain - Offsite – an emerging reality

29th November 2018

Saint-Gobain UK and Ireland recently released its report: 'Emerging Realities in the Construction Industry.' Offsite manufacturing was referenced heavily. Mike Chaldecott, CEO of Saint-Gobain UK and Ireland and also Chair of the Construction...

Network Homes £2bn offsite JV gets green light for first scheme

28th November 2018

The first scheme to be built under a new £2bn offsite partnership between Network Homes, Laing O'Rourke and Stanhope has been given the planning green light. The £200m development in Southall, west London was granted planning...

State-Of-The-Art Manufacturing Capabilities at the Explore Industrial Park

28th November 2018

From manufacturing plant to construction site, we investigate how Laing O'Rourke is spearheading change in the construction industry through design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) at their pioneering Explore Industrial Park manufacturing...

Network Homes Reshaping the Future

28th November 2018

The size and role of many UK housing associations is changing and many face a range of challenges in delivering more and better housing. A recent report commissioned by Network Homes, L&Q and Clarion, calls for better collaboration and...

Government calls for modern methods to deliver £600bn infrastructure pipeline

28th November 2018

The UK government has increased pressure on the construction industry to modernise with digital design and prefabrication, saying it wants the techniques used to deliver £600bn worth of infrastructure over the next decade. Announcing...

Lewisham modular housing village receives approval

28th November 2018

Lewisham's next modular housing village consisting of 34 flats for homeless families has been approved and is expected to be completed by 2020 The modular housing development in Edward Street in Deptford will see two and three-bedroom...

Ministers want new techniques used on £600bn pipeline

27th November 2018

Ministers have called for more use of offsite assembly and digital technology after publishing a £600bn pipeline of infrastructure spending. The National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline includes schemes announced in the...

Drive to use standardised components on £600bn Government pipeline

27th November 2018

The Government is pressing for greater use of digital manufacturing techniques to deliver its £600bn project pipeline over the next decade. Today the government sets out plans to promote a standardisation approach to building...

Heathrow delivers boost to UK’s offsite construction industry

27th November 2018

Heathrow expansion is set to lead the UK's offsite construction revolution as 65 potential logistics hubs across the country progress to the next stage in the search for the final four. The airport will determine which hubs are best placed to...

The RAM Quarter - Integrating the Historic and the Contemporary

27th November 2018

Transforming the former Young's Brewery site where beer has been brewed since 1581, the Ram Quarter sensitively integrates historic Grade II buildings into a contemporary scheme which provides accommodation for boutiques, restaurants,...

Lendlease wins Birmingham Commonwealth Games village

27th November 2018

Birmingham City Council has appointed Lendlease to deliver the £350m Commonwealth Games athletes village. As principal contractor, the firm will deliver a development on the site of the former Birmingham City University campus in Perry...

Offsite homes to address social housing shortfall, says Actis

27th November 2018

Dan Anson-Hart, national specification manager at Actis, says offsite homes must play a vital role in helping address the massive shortfall in social housing A massive decline in the number of homes built for social rent over the past...

Government assembling £1.2bn modular framework

26th November 2018

News comes as government departments team up to look at modern methods of construction Government is assembling a £1.2bn framework for the provision of temporary and permanent modular buildings primarily for use in education and...

Government wants standardised components on £600bn work pipeline

26th November 2018

The government has launched a call for evidence on using a standardised 'platforms' approach for delivering the UK's £600bn infrastructure pipeline. The proposal would mean a set of digitally-designed components used "wherever...

The Benefits of Modular Thinking

26th November 2018

Modular construction has gained considerable momentum over the last 18 months, as was clearly demonstrated at the recent sell-out Modular Matters conference. Darren Richards, Managing Director of leading offsite experts, Cogent Consulting...

Offsite construction speeds up delivery of new Glasgow hotel

25th November 2018

THE new 181-bedroom Moxy Hotel is set to open in Glasgow's Merchant City. Robertson served as main contractor on the project for developer Vastint Hospitality. Located on High Street, the hotel includes meeting facilities and a gym for...

New solutions for affordable homes

24th November 2018

An increasing number of technological advances may help with the growing housing shortage. Traditional funding models, a shortage of skilled workers, the availability and affordability of land, shortfalls of building materials, a 'we've...

Laing O’Rourke go-ahead for £200m London resi scheme

23rd November 2018

A fledgeling strategic alliance between developer Stanhope and London housing association Network Homes has got the go-ahead to build its first scheme in west London. Laing O'Rourke is on board to deliver the 575-home scheme in Ealing,...

Hadley Group acquires Hadley Steel Framing Ltd

23rd November 2018

Global cold rolled manufacturer of steel solutions with real world applications, Hadley Group is pleased to announce the acquisition of Hadley Steel Framing Ltd (HSF). HSF will continue to operate as a stand-alone business but will have the...

The benefits of offsite framing – and how to maximise them

22nd November 2018

Ryan Simmonds, sales director for framing at voestalpine Metsec plc, examines the key benefits of offsite framing, how they might be quantified, and how to make it best work for a specific project. Offsite framing is one of the...

Government starts race for new £1.2bn modular framework

21st November 2018

The Crown Commercial Service has started the bidding to establish a panel of suppliers to deliver modular buildings for the public sector. The new 'uber' framework for modular buildings is being split into seven lots, including design...

Growth in MMC shapes NHBC standards

20th November 2018

A surge in the use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) in the housebuilding industry has helped to shape a new set of standards from NHBC. The NHBC Standards 2019, which come into force on 1 January, has taken account of advances in...

Plans for City of London’s tallest tower revealed

20th November 2018

Plans for what would become the tallest tower in the City of London, featuring sky bridges, internal slides and an education facility at the top, have been revealed. The 305.5m-high building, dubbed 'the Tulip' and proposed by J Safra...

Housing Delivery Fund - Billion Pound Spending Power

20th November 2018

The UK Government has launched a new partnership with Barclays Bank to provide £1 billion of loan finance to help support small and medium-sized developers to help build thousands of new homes across England to help increase the pace and volume...

Countryside revenue tops £1bn as completions soar

20th November 2018

Essex-based Countryside Properties expects average home build times to be slashed from 14 weeks to 10 weeks when its new closed-panel timber frame factory in Warrington gets into full swing early next year. The private house...

Clyde & Co Embracing the Revolution

19th November 2018

The offsite manufacturing revolution is gaining traction but barriers remain, says Robert Meakin, Partner at global law firm Clyde & Co's Global Projects & Construction team. The firm's recent report into offsite manufacture provides a...

Stewart Milne Group invests £250,000 in developing talent

19th November 2018

Stewart Milne Group has invested over £250,000 in bringing out the best in leadership and managerial skills for 128 managers Delivered by their training partner, Edinburgh Consultants Group, Stewart Milne Group has developed a managerial...

The key to modular success

18th November 2018

As offsite construction's popularity grows, David de Sousa, Director at AHR, provides a simple overview on the growing popularity of modular architecture and how it can deliver across a range of sectors. It's undeniable that modular and...

Modular firm wins £25m bedroom contract

16th November 2018

Modular construction firm Caledonian has won a £25m contract to manufacture bedroom accommodation modules on a student housing development. Caledonian will work with main contractor Bowmer & Kirkland on the £54m development for...

A perspective on the skills challenge in offsite manufacture

16th November 2018

Graham Cleland Director of Berkeley Modular and member of the Buildoffsite Governing Forum, shares his perspective on the skills challenge in the offsite construction sector There has been plenty of discussion and debate in recent times...

Inside Offsite – FP McCann

16th November 2018

As part of the Inside Offsite factory tour programme, precast concrete specialists FP McCann opened up its Byley manufacturing facility to showcase its innovative offsite technology and explain the ways precast concrete is contributing to a more...

Comfortable Living launches online modular homes design tool

16th November 2018

Modular housing specialist Comfortable Living has launched its online customisation tool, 'Home Builder' to help tackle the UK's housing crisis by providing modular homes. The online 'build tool' is said to give customers and home...

MFG Conference: Modern methods of construction and beyond

15th November 2018

The BSA is calling for expansion in the housing market and that's not just numbers, it also means diversity of housing supply including modern methods of construction (MMC). Paul believes MMC has the potential to radically speed up the...

Robertson wins pair of Glasgow hotel jobs

15th November 2018

Robertson has been confirmed as main contractor on two new hotels in Glasgow. Construction for client Vastint Hospitality will take place next to the next to SSE Hydro entertainment destination. Demand for accommodation is...

Centres of Excellence- Salford Energy House 2.0

15th November 2018

In our continuing series reporting on a range of facilities across the UK developing and modernising construction practice, we report on the new £16 million research centre in Salford, that has just been given the go-ahead by...

“Early signs” of housebuilders adopting MMC

15th November 2018

There are "early signs" that the housebuilding and the wider construction sector are starting to adopt modern methods of construction (MMC) after years of being urged to do so. That's according to Mark Farmer, who published...

Is the UK construction industry having its ‘Uber moment’?

14th November 2018

Offsite modular manufacturing seen as the solution to sector's productivity problem. At a factory in Bedford, north of the British capital, a series of boxlike apartments - including kitchen bench tops, ovens, baths and sinks -...

Caledonian takes £25m Wembley student order

13th November 2018

Offsite specialist Caledonian has secured a £25m order for bedroom accommodation modules for a major student scheme in Wembley. Bowmer & Kirkland is main contractor on the £54m development for the University Campus of Football...

An Upward Curve

13th November 2018

A recent review of the awareness and adoption of offsite manufacturing undertaken by LHC found that while interest is at an all-time high and constantly growing it is still to be fully embraced by all. For the second year LHC...

Offsite firm wins £15m hospital contract

12th November 2018

Offsite firm the McAvoy Group has won a £15m contract for the construction of a new wing at Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington. The project, which is the company's largest healthcare contract to date, will...

How to rejuvenate the UK’s building sector: offsite construction

12th November 2018

Offsite construction could be just the thing to tackle some of the key issues highlighted in the Federation of Master Builders 2018 State of Trade survey According to the survey, areas that are currently affecting the construction trade...

McAvoy to construct new wing in Northumbria hospital

12th November 2018

McAvoy has been awarded a £15m contract for the offsite construction of a new wing at Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington, UK. Spread over 6,500m², the three-storey building will be connected to the existing...

Roundtable Hadley Group - Delivering Construction of Real Value

9th November 2018

The pressure to find new ways to deliver affordable housing across the UK is enormous. To focus on the role offsite manufacture can play to help ease this pressure, the Hadley Group - providers of steel products to the construction industry for...

Acheson & Glover Precast placed in administration

8th November 2018

Pre-stressed hollowcore flooring specialist Acheson & Glover Precast has been placed into administration by its parent company after being weighed down by losses for several years. The firm...

McBains lands work on south London modular towers

7th November 2018

Scheme in Croydon due to complete in 2020 Consultant McBains has been appointed to oversee the development of the world's tallest modular towers in south London The bank providing senior debt to the Croydon project, which is...

Architecture and building consultancy, AHR, explains why modular is proving popular

7th November 2018

Helen Revitt, Regional Director and Health Sector Lead at architecture and building consultancy AHR, explains why the healthcare sector is increasingly embracing modular solutions. Design for offsite construction - and the rebirth of...

Modular specialist Caledonian suffers loss despite sales hike

7th November 2018

Newark-based offsite specialist Caledonian Modular has suffered a £3.7m pre-tax loss despite seeing sales more than double to £53m. It is the third consecutive year the modular specialist has suffered an operating loss although...

Willmott Dixon launches off-the-shelf health buildings

6th November 2018

Willmott Dixon is expanding its pre-design concept into the healthcare market. The move follows the success of similar schemes in the education and custodial sectors which have generated more than £200m of orders. The...

Councils want to build more houses than they expect to, Scape report finds

5th November 2018

But results find local authorities are slow to buy into modern methods of construction The average local authority in England would like to build 18 times more homes for social rent than they actually expect to produce. ...

£36m boost for turning buildings into power stations

2nd November 2018

Research pioneered at Swansea University to create "active" buildings that generate their own clean energy has received a multi-million pound boost from the government The UK's first energy-positive office, which generates...

Offsite Technology – Purely a Disruptor or a Major Progressive Step?

31st October 2018

Every major review of the construction industry has in some way recommended a move towards offsite construction - from the kind of partnering essential for innovation in offsite suggested by Latham way back in 1994, the capital investment into...

Is time killing your recruitment process?

31st October 2018

Is time killing your recruitment process? - And why you should now forgive your recruitment agency from pushing you (a little bit!) The key factor currently affecting recruitment success is delay in the recruitment process. High quality...

Hollo-Bolt by Lindapter Allowed a Fast Installation of Modular Rooms

31st October 2018

Hollo-Bolts by Lindapter were specified for the modular construction of The Spurn Discovery Centre in East Yorkshire. Contractors used the Hollo-Bolts to connect the Structural Hollow Section (SHS) framework of the adjoining rooms together. The...

We must consider environmental impact of new buildings

26th October 2018

"The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it." These are the profound words of adventurer and environmentalist Robert Swan who became the first person in history to walk both the North and South...

Cutting-edge Walsall factory set to produce 1,000 homes a year

26th October 2018

The first house is...

Precast Revamp for Police HQ

25th October 2018

Lancashire Constabulary's new divisional HQ has reached completion and features offsite precast technology to provide one of the UK's largest custody suites, with innovative design and a more secure environment for...

The Future of Offsite

25th October 2018

After a turbulent few years, confidence is returning within the construction world with interest in offsite construction in particular on the rise. Futurebuild and Offsite Magazine recently hosted a special 'think tank' session to discuss...

A Rising Global Profile

25th October 2018

In the past few years, the tall building industry has become increasingly interested in the use of timber as a major structural element in skyscrapers. We hear from Daniel Safarik, Senior Editor at the Council on Tall...

Manufacturing the Built Environment

25th October 2018

Mark Farmer said, 'Modernise or Die' and whilst this message has generally been accepted by the construction and infrastructure industry, it may not be clear what 'modernisation' actually means. Mark Ireland, Chief Engineer, Construction at the...

Making Offsite Construction a Reality

25th October 2018

Andy Ormerod, Balfour Beatty Managing Director, Plant and Fleet Services is leading Balfour Beatty's commitment to reducing onsite activity by 25% by 2025. Here, he explains how the new generation of industrialised construction methods has the...

Bristol City Council Orders 6 Zedpods at Bristol Housing Festival

24th October 2018

Projections for Bristol's population show an increase of 103,100 people over the next 21 years - a much higher increase than in other English cities. Consequently, Bristol is aiming to be at the forefront of developing the template to solve the...

Major jobs boost for Glasgow construction company

23rd October 2018

Glasgow-based construction and manufacturing company CCG (Scotland) Ltd has welcomed 35 new members to its off-site manufacturing business, CCG OSM, in response to growing demand for its energy efficient timber systems. CCG OSM -...

Leading Steel Framing Innovators EOS to Expand Portfolio

23rd October 2018

Driven by the demand for more predictability throughout the construction process, EOS, one of the UK’s leading steel framing innovators, has announced that it is expanding its portfolio to include load-bearing light gauge steel frame systems. With...

Lucideon to Host Free Webinar: Routes to Market for Offsite and Modular Construction

23rd October 2018

In order to meet the demands that the government are placing on the market to increase the housing stock in the UK, offsite housing will become an ever more popular solution with the promises of quality and speed of delivery. Factory...

Laying the golden brick: when will a modular construction project benefit from zero-rate VAT?

22nd October 2018

Modular construction is one of the most significant advancements in housebuilding in recent years. In the 2017 Autumn Budget, the chancellor announced that the government would aim to prioritise modern methods of construction over traditional...

Offsite a ‘major’ part of housing solution

22nd October 2018

THE Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) has seen a surge in demand from companies looking to explore offsite construction methods. Ben Westland, head of strategic and commercial operations at CSIC, told...

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