Collaborative approach leads to award nomination
We are delighted to announce that we are finalists in this year’s Offsite Awards in the private housing project of the year category, for our work on the Nar Ouse Regeneration Area MMC trial with Lovell Homes.
Working in collaboration with Nuspan Flooring (Nuspan), we have been recognised as instrumental in creating a new generation of sustainable, energy efficient and desirable places to live, through the use of offsite technology.
The 1000-home housing development on behalf of the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West combines our Roofspace i-Houseä units with Nuspan’s precast insulated floors. This collaboration has helped to speed up overall delivery of the phase by over 45% [NP1] compared to traditional methods – while also prioritising site safety and reducing labour requirements.
Lovell began the initial phases of the development with traditional methodologies, such as masonry superstructures, before opting to trial an MMC approach for the current phase. This includes the installation of 24 of our i-Houseä units, which speed up construction to watertight stage by 35-40 per cent, building from the slab up to the roof trusses within five days on an average 3-bedroom house.
These systems were combined with 105 of Nuspan’s precast insulated floors, a system that offers a reduction in labour of up to 83 per cent and no onsite waste. The system is also five times quicker to install than traditional block and beam flooring.
Meanwhile, our i-Houseä uses a bigger variant of the aircrete block, which are assembled in a similar sequence to a timber frame build. This results in a much faster construction process than a traditional build.
Sustainability and environmental performance were also addressed at all stages of the project. Alongside excellent thermal performance leading to lower energy consumption and running costs for homeowners, the offsite manufacture of both solutions creates less waste and dust for workers delivering a safer, cleaner working environment.
Furthermore, the efficiency of the offsite production processes mean that fewer deliveries were required to the King’s Lynn site – for example, larger elements of the i-Houseä system were constructed in the factory prior to delivery. The result is reduced carbon emissions for the local area – and a better environmental impact.
The overall product combination is testament to the inherent benefits of offsite construction. Drawing on the engineering expertise of both brands, the overall design reduces the risk of accidents, creates cleaner, safer and quieter sites, and reduces labour requirements when compared to traditional construction.
Michael Saunders, Operations Manager at Lovell, said: “This project demonstrates that more exacting standards are achievable with offsite construction methods. The approach also helps us to combat current industry challenges such as strain on the supply chain and skills shortages.”
According to James Grant, Principal Project Manager at the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk: “We are incredibly proud as an authority to work with Lovell Partnerships Ltd and their whole supply chain to deliver well-built housing in a cost effective and sustainable manner – bringing all the benefits of MMC to our Major Housing programme and the Borough.
“I hope that the experience that we have gained from the trial can inform our future schemes and lead to future successes.”
In conclusion Graeme Reed, our i-Houseä Operations Director added: “Roofspace Solutions and Nuspan are greater than the sum of our parts. Individually, we create products and solutions that address a need in the construction market. This R&D trial is an excellent example for what can be achieved when two leading British offsite manufacturers choose to work together, share knowledge and employ a ‘lessons learned’ approach, rather than competing.”
The awards take place on the 20th of September 2022 at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
