Developer Citu has appointed a former BMW manufacturing manager to oversee construction of two schemes in Leeds and Sheffield.
Steve
Savage joins as operations director in charge of the manufacture and
construction of Citu’s Climate Innovation District in Leeds and the
Little Kelham development in Sheffield.
Savage will oversee the
full construction journey of timber-framed homes from their manufacture
in Citu’s purpose-built factory in Leeds to onsite assembly.
Savage
worked for BMW for a decade where he oversaw the production of more
than 2 million Minis at the company’s plant in Oxford.
Chris
Thompson, managing director at Citu: “Steve’s background in the
automotive industry and his passion for streamlining the manufacturing
process to eliminate inefficiency aligns perfectly with our ethos.
“There
has been an explosion in off-site housing construction over the past 18
months and most developers have gone down the modular route.
“At
Citu, we’ve chosen the component route to give us much more flexibility
of design and greater control over the energy-performance of each
property. This means developing a whole new way of working.
“I’ve
long been inspired by the car manufacturing model where the product is
built in a factory to exacting standards, to be delivered on time to a
set price and quality.
“This is exactly the approach we’re taking to achieve the high standards for sustainable, low carbon buildings.
“Over
the last few years we’ve been developing a model which integrates the
entire supply chain so that we can control every element of the design
and construction in-house.
“Now, with Steve overseeing operations, we can benefit from his experience and ramp up productivity.”
Savage
said: “What Citu is developing is a revolutionary way of working for
the construction industry which will eliminate waste – both in terms of
time and materials.
“The model it has established is already working, and we’re now honing the process.
“For
example, in traditional construction methods if there’s a problem
onsite with materials or how elements in the home fit together, a joiner
or fabricator will apply a quick fix on the spot which can be costly in
the long-term and compromises the quality of the home.
“Instead,
we go right back to the design stage and find a solution to stop the
issue happening again and feed this information all the way down the
chain.
“Part of my remit is to ensure seamless flow and
communication between every element of the process – design to
manufacturing to construction.
“Key to this is Citu’s apprentice
scheme which allows us to grow the next generation of skilled workers
who are at the core of our business.”
Construction is underway for
the next phase of homes at Little Kelham in Kelham Island, Sheffield; a
growing community of 250 low-carbon homes and repurposed listed
buildings.
The first properties are also being assembled on site
at the Climate Innovation District in Leeds, which will feature 520 low
carbon homes alongside leisure, offices and climate-resilient public
realm.
Savage added: “A big change is needed in the construction
industry if we are going to tackle climate change in a way that really
makes a difference.
“I wanted to be part of Citu and its bold team
willing and prepared to show that it can be done on scale while also
creating better city centre places to live, work and play.
“Citu are actually making it happen and I feel fortunate to help drive that change.”
Once
the Citu Works factory is up to capacity producing 750 homes a year,
Citu plans to sell its Citu Homes to other developers and local
authorities around the UK.
Original link - Construction Enquirer
CITU feature in Offsite Magazine (Issue 11) - CITU
