article A ‘modular mindset’ is needed to tackle London’s housing crisis London needs 66,000 new homes each year. However, in recent history, nothing like this capacity has ever been delivered. In 2016-17, there were just 41,371 net additions to London housing stock. Less than 5,500 affordable homes were completed in 2017-18, compared with an average of over 10,000 per year in the last decade. Analysts suggest offsite is the answer. <strong>MMC</strong> Editor Joe Bradbury investigates: Recent research by New London Architecture (NLA) called for a ‘Modular Mindset’ to revolutionise the way housing is planned, procured, designed and built to accelerate the delivery of high-quality, affordable and sustainable homes for London’s citizens, now and in the future. NLA’s research paper, entitled ‘Factory-Made Housing: a solution for London?’ examines the impact of factory methods on the future of housing delivery in London. The report, informed by interviews with leading professionals at the forefront of delivering factory-made housing, shows the potential for these construction methods to make a positive contribution to London’s housing needs – highlighting the range of manufactured systems available today and the opportunities that digital techniques and processes can offer. Change begins within Moving construction from the site to the factory environment is not just a case of tweaking existing processes or adapting current models, says the report. Using factory methods to design and build new homes at scale requires a complete rethink of established attitudes to commissioning, planning, procurement, finance, design and construction. The extent of the housing crisis It’s no secret that housebuilding needs to increase in the UK. It is predicted that a total of 250,000 homes need to be delivered each year in order to tackle spiralling house prices and the critical shortage of affordable homes. This target has constantly been missed - with figures showing that only 184,000 homes were completed in England in 2016/17. This is more than in recent years, but still below the 2007/08 pre-recession peak of 200,000. With only 63% of projects delivered on time and only 49% delivered to budget, it’s clear to see that traditional building practices, whilst still integral, are falling short of meeting major challenges on their own. Consider that London alone needs 66,000 new homes each year. Despite this, in 2016-17, there were only 41,371 net additions to London housing stock. Less than 5,500 affordable homes were completed in 2017-18, compared with an average of over 10,000 per year in the last decade. Many are looking to Mayor Sadiq Khan for answers. Almost half of London’s need is for social rent, but only 14% of all home starts so far in this Mayoral term are for social rented homes. The Mayor has received £4.82bn to deliver 116,000 affordable home starts by March 2022. This year’s target range for starts is 14,500 to 19,000 - but only 2,400 were recorded in the first six months of this year. Recently, the Chair of the Housing Committee, Sian Berry AM, said “The Mayor is letting down Londoners, he promised us more affordable housing but so far has fallen very short of his promises, particularly on social housing which is our greatest need. “With young and lower-income people suffering the most from the housing crisis, we can’t wait much longer for his policies to kick in. “The Mayor must fulfil his pledges. It is in his power to ease the housing crisis and meet his targets – especially as he has received new funding. “There is now no excuse for genuinely affordable housing to be out of reach for Londoners who want a secure home.” Changing behaviours Adopting new technologies is not just a matter of innovation in materials and construction methods but open communication, transparency of data and information sharing, and a challenge to established beliefs about responsibility for delivery and risk. A collaborative stance based on long-term partnerships and agreements – breaking down the barriers between disciplines – rather than an adversarial, competitive, shortterm outlook will improve quality, add value and reduce risks. Manufacturing high-quality repeatable components and units demands a system-based approach that focuses on continuous improvement through the cycle of assessment, prototyping, analysis, fabrication and installation. David Jones, Modular Integration Director at Legal and General commented “There is a lot of talk about embracing ‘modern methods of construction’, but I don’t think that policymakers are strict enough in terms of indicating exactly what this means in terms of percentage of manufactured elements – we need more clarity.” Jonathan Falkingham, co-founder and creative director at Urban Splash, argues that for this reason government should intervene in largescale developments. He said “The current highly risk-averse procurement process for public land heavily favours the larger housebuilders – smaller housebuilders simply don’t have the required balance sheets – opening up land to more housebuilders would deliver greater variety in housing typologies, higher market penetration and speedier delivery.” Key benefits of factory-made housing • Speed of delivery – 30 to 70% quicker than traditional construction methods • Higher quality – due to controlled production • Reduced transportation and community impact – less noise, pollution and deliveries • Flexible and diverse – a solution for almost every site and scale of project • More environmentally friendly – improved energy efficiency, using certified timber projects • Less affected by the shortage of skilled labour in the construction industry – improving the view of construction and attracting a younger, more diverse workforce • Small, restricted sites can be used – offering reduced impacts of noise, vehicle movements and flexibility for building on irregular plots Peter Murray, Chairman of NLA, said “Factorymade homes are advocated by Government and Mayoral policies to speed up housing delivery in London and across the UK. But we must be mindful that the same level of consideration is given to design, place-making, amenity, infrastructure and public realm. We must not repeat the mistakes of the 1960s.” Graeme Craig, Director of Commercial Development at Transport for London, added “London desperately needs affordable housing and it’s vital that the industry considers fresh and creative approaches to tackle the challenge head-on. To provide these homes we need to unlock complex, challenging sites, sometimes impossible to deliver using conventional methods of construction. We’re working with a range of partners, including EVA Studio and Apartments for London, to develop innovative solutions that will help to overcome some of the barriers traditionally faced, and support the Mayor in delivering more affordable homes across the capital at pace.” 42 Feb 2019 <strong>M11</strong>
In London, less than 5,500 affordable homes were completed in 2017-18, compared with an average of over 10,000 per year in the last decade
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