City council housing company is buying the four-home project in Birchfield Street close to the city centre from manufacturer SPACE|MODULAR. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool City Council’s housing company Foundations has acquired a modular homes development just outside the city centre.
Modular homes are constructed in a factory and then installed on-site in just a day. The properties exceed modern building regulations and are energy-efficient and are light years ahead of the old ‘pre-fabs’ seen across Liverpool following World War II.
The four properties at the Birchfield Street scheme have been made by SPACE|MODULAR. Work began on the site at the end of August with the foundations completed in September, allowing the homes to be delivered to the site.
Before they are delivered the homes are built into a unified structure which integrates he core, shear walls, bathrooms and façade of a building. The process enables delivery of the properties up to 50% quicker than traditional building methods.
The final elements of the construction works such as roofing, cladding and landscaping will be completed over the coming weeks with handover to Foundations planned for early November.
Factory-built homes are becoming an increasingly popular way of addressing the UK’s chronic shortage of affordable homes as well as meeting the country’s carbon emission targets. A separate development at Wirral Waters is allowing people to choose their own specifications.
Ian Ambrose, director of SPACE|MODULAR, said: “By manufacturing in a quality-controlled environment, we are able to dramatically reduce waste and minimise water and energy usage by streamlining the whole process.
“Similar to any pre-fabricated manufacturing facility, we can accurately order materials needed for each specific job minimising waste and maximising quality.”
Due to precision engineering, modular construction reduces waste by 80% of which, 95% is recycled. Off-site manufacturing also means 60% less deliveries to site, 80% fewer vehicle movements on site along 70% less personnel on site.
Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson added: ““We need to be bold, radical and ambitious if we are to meet our target of becoming a net zero carbon city by 2030. There are huge opportunities for us to improve the lives of residents right across the city, whatever their age or background, with better and more energy efficient housing.”