A house no longer divided? Modular housing scheme proposed to tackle homelessness

Having worked for many decades in the production of portable buildings, its direct applications to societal infrastructure is obvious to us. For those more hardened and traditional members of the construction sector however, the daunting prospect of widescale change in the industry can shroud their ability to see the advantages the modern methods on offer. We thought therefore, to demonstrate these benefits, it would be interesting to have a look at an example where the introduction of modular buildings provides a measured solution to a growing problem.

The modular homes project

The example we’ve chosen to draw on is an attempt by a non-for-profit organisation attempting to combat homelessness in London. Pan-London Accommodation Collaborative Enterprise’s (PLACE) aim is to build off-site family homes; homes that have the same qualities as their permanent counterparts but can be moved from one site to another- wherever they may be required to ease homelessness. Supported by the Greater London Authority, this is the first time UK local authorities are collaborating to acquire modular housing to tackle homelessness. This project’s aim is a fantastic example of the everyday application of the off-site construction industry, not some rare example like that of Heathrow.

Construction sector investment

This project does have some roots in government funding. The idea follows the announcement of the Construction Sector Deal earlier this year, a £420 million investment into the sector in response to the damning 2016 Farmer Review which highlighted construction shortfalls nationwide. One of the deal’s three strategic priorities is the investment into offsite manufacturing techniques- with the idealism that, hopefully in the not too distant future, we have a construction sector that can build new homes in a matter of weeks.

A bright context it seems for a project in the nation’s capital looking to take advantage of both a governmental optimism for change as well as the literal benefits of the production of portable units. For example, here at Springfield, we believe one of our distinctive advantages are our fully customisable options. From windows and roofing, to internal finishes and external fascia options, the benefits are limited only by your own creativity.

Are portable units the solution?

As industry leaders, news that an off-site approach to combat homelessness is refreshing. We have been in the business for many, many years and although we do not manufacture buildings for residence, we have worked very closely with the NHS and healthcare sector as well as many exciting projects in education. We tailor the needs of each individual project to the requirements of the client and our off-site method of construction makes this both extremely efficient and environmentally friendly.

The news of the birth of this project is fantastic, we are excited to see how it develops in the coming years, and hopefully can showcase to the entire industry the superb advantages of off-site construction. Especially on their vast London stage.