Industry News

Modular precast frame solution for Holiday Inn Express Group

19th October 2018

FP McCann is supplying and installing modular precast components on a brand new £10 million 138 room Holiday Inn Express hotel near Bridgwater, Somerset. In total, around 509 individual precast concrete structural and architectural units...

BDP launches factory-built eco ‘Gap Homes’

18th October 2018

Architects from BDP's Bristol studio have launched their concept for factory-built eco 'Gap Homes' designed to fit into small urban spaces such as garage plots. The firm said that Bristol along has 2,000 garages on 300 different council...

RCM’s fire-rated through wall solutions demonstrated at Timber Expo

17th October 2018

RCM showcases eye-catching 24sqm stand at this years' Timber Expo, NEC Birmingham RCM have again managed to showcase an attention-grabbing stand at Timber Expo in Birmingham this year, part of the UK Construction Week, which was held...

TfL and Pocket Living tie-up for cheap London homes

17th October 2018

Transport for London has struck a deal with affordable homes specialist Pocket Living to build out several sites. Pocket Living will build around 125 one bedroom homes on TfL sites, which will then be sold outright to buyers at a...

Engineering research centres open in Sheffield

16th October 2018

The Construction industry is set to benefit from opening of new world-leading advanced engineering research centres at the University of Sheffield. The three centres will help develop new technologies in partnership with industry, which...

Only 4% of home building fund destined for offsite

16th October 2018

The government has so far issued £120m of loans for projects using offsite construction techniques from its £3bn Home Building Fund. Lords offsite report calls for 'radical overhaul' of construction The figure represents just 4%...

Modular student homes scheme completed in record time

16th October 2018

Tide Construction and their offsite manufacturing company, Vision Modular Systems, have completed Chapter Highbury II, a 257-bed modular student homes scheme in London. The 700 sqm site was able to be brought forward for development due...

Why the UK's ageing infrastructure might be an advantage in the global digital revolution

11th October 2018

Ramboll UK's Chris Fry explains how the UK has a huge opportunity to replace its ageing infrastructure with greener, cleaner upgrades. Working for a global company with a strong Scandinavian heritage, we have long focused on...

We desperately need new ways to build

10th October 2018

The percentage of homes built offsite remains low due to concerns from housebuilders, but with new government thinking MMC could provide urgently needed housing We all know there is a severe housing shortage in the UK and the number of...

Raising a glass to sustainable construction

9th October 2018

Architects, designers and others specifying building materials for construction projects are increasingly turning to timber as a key element of the building design. Alun Watkins, executive director, PEFC UK explains more

Birmingham plans modular housing pilot

8th October 2018

Birmingham City Council is preparing a modular housing pilot to help free up sites where traditional construction is deemed too difficult or expensive. The council is preparing to launch its BMHT Modular development programme in spring...

Cost data for offsite construction

8th October 2018

A recent RICS report on offsite manufacturing for housing concluded that the data on cost of construction, value and performance using offsite is not robust yet, and as techniques evolve, cost information and performance changes and previous data...

Travelodge to build 10 hotels at UK conference hubs

5th October 2018

Budget hotel chain Travelodge is ramping up its expansion programme with plans to invest £100m in 10 new hotels near UK conference centres. The firm is actively looking at sites from Edinburgh to Bournemouth, including three potential...

Housing Secretary of State promises to be bold in boosting innovation and new home building

3rd October 2018

Housing is the top priority for the UK Government with Secretary of State James Brokenshire pledging to be bold and radical in terms of boosting homes and revamping planning. He told the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham that...

Take Centre Stage at the 2019 Offsite Construction Awards

2nd October 2018

The buzz around offsite construction is not slowing down and with the Government's policy for the 'presumption of offsite' technology, demand is on the rise - as the offsite sector rises to the challenge, it is time for innovators to...

Offsite set to trigger a new engineering era

1st October 2018

Building engineering services will have to take a leaf out of the manufacturing industry's book as it strives to deliver an increasingly challenging workload. Over the next two to five years, we will see modern methods of construction...

Offsite manufacture overview

1st October 2018

For the second year, Inside Housing partners with LHC on a review of offsite manufacturing. In one of their last actions before rising for the summer recess, members of the House of Lords offered a clear message to anyone grappling with...

Make way for the revolution – inside SES Engineering Services’ M&E factory

30th September 2018

With contractors increasingly turning to offsite construction, we speak to some of the pioneers delivering prefabricated M&E. In the first of a regular series, Alex Smith visits SES Engineering Services' factory, in York, to find out how its...

TfL appoints modular firm to build 450 homes

28th September 2018

Transport for London (TfL) has reached a deal with a modular housing firm to build around 450 homes in the capital, as part of plans to build over 10,000 homes on its own land. It has struck a new partnership with Apartments for London...

Balfour takes modular sky high at The Madison

28th September 2018

Balfour Beatty's extensive use of modular construction on the Madison skyscraper in London's Docklands has required a clever approach to access. Will Mann reports. The Madison is one of the tallest buildings under construction in the UK...

Influencers and Disruptors

27th September 2018

As Managing Director of Cogent Consulting, Darren Richards is well placed to comment on how the world of offsite manufacturing has gained traction over the past 12 months. Here he shares his views on how the market is developing and which factors...

Hadley Group Nailing Offsite Construction

27th September 2018

A leading cold rollforming steel manufacturer operating internationally, Hadley Group produces high strength, low weight pre-panelised steel frame structures, floor joist systems and purlin and side rail systems. With fresh ideas and...

Amazon invests in modular building firm

27th September 2018

Internet giant Amazon has entered the modular housing market after investing in a California-based housebuilder. Start-up firm Plant Prefab builds prefabricated custom homes in a range of sizes. Amazon has taken part in a...

UK Construction Week brings offsite onsite

27th September 2018

Offsite construction is hailed as the quick solution to the housing crisis. And that is why is it is causing quite a stir at UK Construction Week (UKCW). Offsite construction takes over Birmingham's NEC between 9 - 11 October, with more than...

Supply Chain Engagement and Integration for Maximum Value

26th September 2018

When and how to engage with the offsite supply chain to get the most value from it is always a hot topic for discussion. Etex Building Performance recently hosted a Roundtable Event to discuss issues surrounding this and the burgeoning...

Offsite: Essential to Sector Deal

26th September 2018

After some delay, the Government finally launched its much-anticipated Construction Sector Deal (CSD) in July, with a vison to develop an industry able to respond to the pressures of changing demographics, technological change and ...

UKCW Embraces Offsite

26th September 2018

Offsite is due to make its mark on UK Construction Week (UKCW) by showcasing all its advantages in its very own dedicated Offsite area within the Build Show alongside an additional presence at Timber Expo. Offsite construction will help...

B&K bags £54m Wembley student halls project

26th September 2018

Developer Cole Waterhouse has picked Bowmer & Kirkland to build their planned First Way Campus student development in Wembley. Unite student rooms block will include seminar rooms, staff office space, a canteen, gym, and library/IT...

Structural Strength with Precast Concrete

25th September 2018

Creagh Concrete are championing the use of precast concrete in the UK and are at the forefront of cutting edge offsite manufacture with its Rapidres fastrack build system, that is presently revamping central Birmingham with the Arena Central...

Hedge fund specialist bets £3m on modular homes maker

25th September 2018

Tory peer Lord Fink worth £160m, according to this year's rich list Former co-treasurer of the Conservative party and hedge fund guru Lord Stanley Fink has invested £3m in Project Etopia, a manufacturer of modular homes and school...

Protect Membranes Delivers U-Value Benefits for New Modular Innovation

24th September 2018

A variety of wall construction membranes, roofing underlays and accessories from Protect has been installed into an innovative new modular concept manufactured by Tingdene Homes, holiday and park home specialists. 'The Loft' is a...

Designing for Manufacture: Do architects like offsite?

23rd September 2018

The resurgence in offsite manufacturing is changing the norms for architects as well as contractors. But are designers warming to working with factories? There is a perception that architects are not big fans of offsite manufacturing....

Futurebuild Announces Expansion Plans for 2019

21st September 2018

In a move that reinforces and reflects the growing confidence and sense of purpose behind Futurebuild, Futurebuild Events has announced it is increasing floorspace in 2019 by 20%. The event is expanding due to unprecedented demand and a record...

A vision of the future? We visit a ‘modular town’

20th September 2018

Two large developments to house 1,500 power station workers have sprung up in just over a year. Martin Hilditch visits to see if the offsite scheme is a vision of the future. In the construction world's equivalent of the blink of an...

New methods of construction needed in London to combat skill shortages

19th September 2018

A growing skills crisis in London's construction sector is strengthening the case for the adoption of modern methods of construction, according to a think tank report. The report from the Centre for London, assesses how the speed, scale...

ZEDPods’ offsite starter homes chosen for first project

18th September 2018

Central Bedfordshire College and a private developer have chosen ZEDPods, a new offsite manufacturer of low-cost starter-homes, for a development on college land which will offer 23 affordable homes to Dunstable's nurses, teachers and...

Construction will need staff from other industries to hit offsite targets, report says

18th September 2018

Survey by law firm suggest builders target manufacturing sector for workers. The construction industry will begin raiding the manufacturing sector for skilled workers in order to carry out offsite building in the future. The...

RICS paper urges adoption of Modern Methods of Construction

18th September 2018

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has released a paper calling on government and the construction industry to think outside of the bricks and boost diversity in construction skills, by embracing Modern Methods of Construction...

Inside Laing O’Rourke’s £150m Explore offsite factory

14th September 2018

Laing O'Rourke has released a behind-the-scenes look at its offsite manufacturing facilities at Explore Industrial Park, near Worksop in Nottinghamshire. The video shows off some of the manufacturing processes involved in what the...

23 Modular ZEDPod Quality Starter Homes Chosen for First Project

13th September 2018

To meet the growing demand for keyworker housing in Dunstable The UK has a backlog of 3.9 million homes, its biggest housing shortfall on record according to new research by Heriot-Watt University. This means 340,000 new homes need to...

HS2 boost to Laing O’Rourke factory

13th September 2018

The HS2 programme is set to provide a boost to Laing O'Rourke's Explore Manufacturing factory, while the overall project is predicted to support 15,000 jobs in total by 2020. Explore Manufacturing has won a contract with LM joint...

Barclays backs government’s £1bn loan scheme to diversify housing delivery

12th September 2018

The Housing Delivery Fund, which launched today, is aimed at helping SME developers build homes for rent or sale to help drive a more diverse range of providers. Around two-thirds of homes are built by 10 companies. Under the scheme,...

Leicestershire school gets new block in £3.3m modular scheme

12th September 2018

Spatial Initiative (Initiative) - the joint venture of property services group Styles&Wood and offsite construction specialists Extraspace Solutions - has begun craning in the first of 38 modular units at Highcliffe School in Birstall,...

Top construction firms to double offsite use in five years

12th September 2018

Two thirds of construction bosses expect to double the amount of construction work they carry out using offsite manufacturing (OSM) over the next five years, although the cost of investment and a lack of knowledge is currently holding the sector...

There are two main barriers to the widespread use of offsite construction

7th September 2018

Once these are overcome, perhaps, finally, we can stop debating the potential benefits of offsite and start counting on them Every major review of the construction industry has in some way recommended a move towards offsite construction...

Schools: Learning to love modular

7th September 2018

Offsite construction can offer an answer to England's struggling school estate. But manufacturers are battling to banish dated perceptions of what modular means. Jordan Marshall reports A temporary classroom with a bouncy floor;...

McAvoy targets offsite housing with 7-day build pledge

4th September 2018

Offsite construction specialist McAvoy Group is aiming to make a mark in housing with a new seven-day foundations-to-finish modular system for all tenures. In collaboration with Queen's University Belfast, McAvoy has developed a...

Redrow trials modular garages to cut costs

4th September 2018

House builder Redrow is stepping up its use of offsite manufactured components to cut construction costs. The firm revealed it is now trialling the use of modular garages at two of its regional divisions. The house builder is...

Offsite: Why logistics management is key

3rd September 2018

If construction is serious about using offsite manufacturing, the industry needs to learn how to use logistics, writes Garry Sullivan. Construction has banged on about improving productivity for as long as there has been a skills...

Do architects like designing for manufacture?

31st August 2018

The resurgence in offsite manufacturing is changing the norms for architects as well as contractors. But are designers warming to working with factories? Will Mann finds out. There is a perception that architects are not big fans of...

Offsite: Does it deliver on its quality promises?

31st August 2018

Offsite construction methods are supposed to offer significant gains on build quality - but is there evidence to prove it? Neil Gerrard investigates. Offsite construction has long claimed an array of advantages over traditional build...

Modular construction: Along the right lines?

31st August 2018

While plenty of excitement is being generated by the push for modular construction - touted as the answer to the UK's housing crisis - so far the sector has produced very few homes. Joey Gardiner asks if the industry can push past the setbacks...

Why should you attend Explore Offsite North West?

30th August 2018

Explore Offsite North West is taking place on the 12 September 2018 at the University of Salford and will present innovative thinking by assembling some of the industry's thought leaders to discuss the uptake of offsite construction in the North...

People are Everything

30th August 2018

With the latest Salary Guide for the Offsite Construction Sector included in this issue, Jim Roach, Managing Director of specialist recruiter ARV Solutions, reminds us that recruitment and retention is always a challenging...

UK Construction Week takes building offsite

30th August 2018

The MPBA is firmly fighting back against claims that modular homes aren't fit to cope with hot temperatures. Now, it's down to everyone involved in the design, specification and construction of offsite buildings to reinforce the MPBA's assertion...

Hadley Group Moves Forward

30th August 2018

Established in 1964, Hadley Group is a world leader in advanced cold rolled steel technology and employs close to 700 people at manufacturing facilities throughout Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Hadley Group offers a market-leading...

Lucideon Publishes Free Routes to Market Guide for Manufacturers of Construction Products

30th August 2018

A sizeable proportion of offsite construction in large-scale infrastructure includes precast concrete elements. The precast components fit into two categories; standard products which fall under the Construction Products Regulations (CPR) and...

First Rotherham sites identified for new housing "pods"

30th August 2018

The first Rotherham sites have been revealed for an innovative housing project utlising new methods of off-site construction. Rothbiz reported last month on the authority going out to the market to find construction contractors who specialise...

£6.2m offsite housing scheme to help families in need

29th August 2018

Families awaiting social housing in Northern Ireland will be able to move in a year earlier as Clanmil Housing Association joins forces with McAvoy Group to deliver new homes using offsite solutions An entire factory-built modular house can...

£2bn offsite housing framework unveiled

29th August 2018

Construction firms will have the chance to bid for a place on an offsite housing framework being renewed by procurement specialist LHC, worth around £2bn. The four-year framework is expected to offer work worth up to £1bn in England,...

Modular Matters - hear from the leaders in the field of volumetric modular construction techniques

28th August 2018

One of the critical concerns for the construction industry is poor levels of productivity. When assessed against other industries, especially manufacturing led ones - the disparity is stark. Volumetric modular construction has gained considerable...

Balfour aims to offsite 25% of project work by 2025

28th August 2018

The streamlining plan is to support the Government's 2025 strategy for lower cost, lower emissions and faster delivery Balfour Beatty chief executive Leo Quinn said that the new generation of industrialised construction methods,...

Modular housing partnership to help solve housing crisis

28th August 2018

Architectural practice, astudio, has launched a revolutionary modular housing partnership in the hopes of reducing the cost of modular housing, providing high-quality homes and offering a potential solution to the UK's housing crisis. ...

Procurement update: Offsite

24th August 2018

The Place Ladywell temporary housing project, designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners for Lewisham council, used prefabricated modules, not only allowing faster and cheaper construction but also making the finished structure fully demountable...

New skills needed to harness true potential of offsite construction

23rd August 2018

Offsite construction could revolutionise the construction industry and provide a solution to the UK housing shortage, but only if the sector develops the right skills. Faster, Smarter, More Efficient: Building Skills for Offsite Construction...

Elements Europe lands £30m deal for modular 21-storey tower

22nd August 2018

Developer Pocket Living has confirmed the appointment of Elements Europe on one of the UK's tallest modular residential towers. Elements Europe will provide a modular turnkey solution for the 21-storey Addiscombe Grove development...

The very model of a Modern Method of Construction

21st August 2018

NHBC innovation manager Richard Lankshear explains how the UK’s leading warranty and insurance provider for new homes is supporting the growth in housebuilding, including the use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) For many years, NHBC has...

New Technology Set to Produce Flat-Packed Modular Homes

21st August 2018

The first prototype homes manufactured using an innovative 3D injection printing process, and incorporating technologies inspired by the automotive and aerospace industries, are due to begin production by the end of the year. Prefabrication...

New Wave of Suppliers Appointed to Fusion21's Modular Building Framework – Following £175 Million Expansion

21st August 2018

Fusion21 has announced the suppliers successfully appointed to its Modular Building Framework – following an expansion worth £175 million, over a four year period. A total of 8 highly skilled firms have secured a place on the framework which...

Demonstrating the potential of offsite technology in the North West

20th August 2018

The first North West regional event in the Explore Offsite series will take place on September 12, 2018 in Manchester at the University of Salford. The combined conference and exhibition will bring together a range of offsite technology supply chain...

Modular moment

20th August 2018

Last month, we celebrated 25 years of Urban Splash; more than two decades of transforming brownfield sites, disused buildings and unloved areas of cities like Manchester, Liverpool, Bradford, Leeds, Saxton, Bristol, Birmingham and Plymouth into...

Is Construction Dying?

20th August 2018

Ahead of his talk at UK Construction Week – Is construction dead? – Matthew Lyons, Head of Design at the Orbit Group, explains why construction’s inability to deliver the homes we need has opened the door to a new breed of housebuilder. If,...

Housebuilding sector moving towards modular offsite construction

20th August 2018

As prefabricated, modular homes continue to gain popularity within the UK's construction sector, we are starting to see more 'flying factories' popping up across the country. Construction company Beattie Passive, which delivers...

The infrastructural revolution: Enabling smarter and more liveable cities

20th August 2018

Chris Fry, Director, Infrastructure & Regeneration, Ramboll explores how the infrastructural revolution is enabling smarter and more liveable cities. Our towns and cities are constantly changing around us. Containing a variety of...

Sitting Pretty - Stackable Hotels

16th August 2018

Winning the Best Retail/Leisure Project of the Year at the Offsite Awards 2018, the Holiday Inn Express (HIEx) hotel in Trafford City, Manchester is a 220-bedroom hotel constructed using offsite volumetric modular methods. The hotel, located...

Streamline with Steel Frame

16th August 2018

With the Metframe solution at its core, the Thetford Riverside Travelodge is a 62-room hotel and part of a 41,000 sq ft. redevelopment of the riverside area in Thetford, which includes a three-screen cinema and five restaurants. The Metframe...

Stackable and Repeatable

16th August 2018

The New Hampton by Hilton hotel at Bristol Airport was the 50th Hampton to open in the UK in 2017, with the success of the scheme largely attributed to the use of volumetric bedrooms built using containerised technology. The entire 201 bedroom hotel...

Counting the Cost of Affordable Construction

15th August 2018

Cost comparisons between competing materials are notoriously difficult to quantify in any sector. A recent study from independent construction, property and management consultant, Rider Levett Bucknall, sought to understand the differences...

Building a Safer Future

15th August 2018

Earlier this year, Dame Judith Hackitt released her final report for overhauling building regulations and improving fire safety in the construction supply chain. With many positives, it drew a mixed response from construction stakeholders, with some...

Interoperability: the next frontier

15th August 2018

Dr Derek Thomson of Loughborough University’s School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering introduces the concept of interoperable modules and how they can bring the next wave of modernisation – open platforms with servitisation....

Housing crisis – is modular offsite the solution?

15th August 2018

Modular offsite construction methods hold potential to solve the UK's crippling housing shortage, according to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IME). A report, entitled "The UK House Building: Manufacturing Affordable...

Active Approach to Modular

14th August 2018

Modular building expert Portakabin has developed an exciting new product as part of its full turnkey school solution – a modular hall suitable for events, sports and assemblies. Portakabin, the UK’s market leading modular construction...

Understanding Intelligent Volumetric Modular

14th August 2018

The Modular Matters conference and exhibition, taking place at the Birmingham NEC on 30 October 2018, will focus on the latest developments, innovations and investments in the volumetric modular sector and outline the continuing evolution of...

The Four Ds

14th August 2018

Robin Lancashire, Senior Timber Frame Consultant at TRADA picks out some key issues surrounding the durability of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and what to remember during the construction phase. Building in Britain means that we need to manage...

Centres of Excellence

13th August 2018

The construction industry is in a state of flux with the demands of changing demographics, housing pressures, economic change and technological developments on an unprecedented scale. A range of facilities across the UK are training and informing...

Discipline & collaboration - the ideal approach

13th August 2018

Following the publication of the ‘Offsite Manufacture for Construction: Building For Change’ report by the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee, Darren Richards, Managing Director of key contributors Cogent Consulting,...

Buildings as Power Stations

13th August 2018

Since winning the Solar Technology of the Year and Clean Tech Start Up of the Year Awards in the Business Green Technology Awards in December 2016, BIPVco are set to expand further in their bid to incorporate PV functionality into conventional...

What's new? What matters? Is it offsite?

13th August 2018

Dennis Seal of Buildoffsite looks at issues and opportunities facing the offsite sector, as well as the growing support for this method of construction in meeting the UK's housing demand. How many times recently have you heard the words...

Evolution Not Revolution

10th August 2018

The role offsite manufacture can play in securing a healthier housing sector has never been more important. A pivotal provider of offsite timber housing systems is Stewart Milne Timber Systems (SMTS) who recently hosted a Roundtable Event to discuss...

Volumetric Schools - Meeting Demand

10th August 2018

Estimates suggest we need to build approximately two new schools per day to meet the current pupil demographic demand. Such is the scale of this task, the wider use of offsite techniques could prove to be a perfect solution. Mark Hargreaves,...

beX – Learning for Industry

10th August 2018

Edinburgh Napier University are working with a series of international academic partners active in offsite research via the Built Environment Exchange (beX). The objective is to provide an education platform partnering University and...

MPBA – Response to the Environmental Audit Committee Report

9th August 2018

There is a huge demand for high quality buildings and modular construction has been hailed as one of the most efficient offsite solutions. The industry is innovating at pace and in response to some of the evidence presented to the Environmental...

Real Life Lego Hotels

9th August 2018

Ben Drake, Associate at Peter Dann Consulting Engineers gives a structural engineer’s perspective on designing an integrated superstructure from individual modular parts, with adequate strength, stability, connectivity and buildability. Peter...

Demonstrating Offsite Expertise in Action

9th August 2018

“Excellent performance with huge potential for gaining a significant chunk of the residential market – a great push for offsite manufacturing” - was just one of the positives comments received following EOS Facades’ recent site study...

Make it Modular - A New Kind of Living

9th August 2018

Liverpool-based Ideal Modular Homes (IMH) has made a successful entry to the volumetric modular marketplace, creating a sustainable housing model delivering quality, cost-effectiveness and exceptional energy efficiency. From building its factory...

One of the highest light steel frame structures in Europe

8th August 2018

A light steel frame solution from Kingspan Steel Building Solution has significantly reduced the construction programme and enhanced the buildability of this high quality student accommodation in Newcastle city centre. The solution also reduced the...

The ultimate guide to modular construction

8th August 2018

Modular construction has become increasingly popular in recent years and has even been hailed as the future of the construction industry, but while technology takes leaps and bounds, the sector still has many obstacles to overcome. We take a look at...

Shifting from traditional construction methods to offsite alternatives

7th August 2018

The UK construction industry is worth nearly £100 billion to the UK economy each year. But tighter restrictions, increasing build costs and a lack of skilled labour are threatening the sector’s future growth. But where there are challenges,...

Industry welcomes Lords report calling for overhaul to unlock potential for offsite manufacturing

6th August 2018

Report highlights need for clients, designers and contractors to collaborate if innovative construction technique is to take off in UK. Calls by a House of Lords committee in July to boost offsite manufacture (OSM) across the UK were met with open...

Factory manufactured homes set to modernise the housing industry

6th August 2018

The UK construction industry has been set a steep challenge by the incumbent government of building 300,000 homes a year by 2022 Against the backdrop of a UK housing crisis where the industry is struggling to house future generations, failing to...

Industry News

Offsite Hub Roundtables

Blog