How to deliver on modular promises

COMMENT: Is it possible for the UK to become the world leader in modular housing in just 10 years? That was the plan and challenge set out at this October’s MIPIM UK Summit by Esther McVey, the current housing minister, who said that in 2015 only around 10% of homes were built as a result of modular construction – equivalent to 15,000 homes. This means if we are going to reach the Tories’ target of building 300,000 homes per year, McVey said, “we need to build at least 80,000 modular homes a year by the mid-2020s on top of what we’re delivering today”. This will be no easy task, but with a strong majority in the House of Commons, the new government will never have a better opportunity to fulfil its pledge. To achieve this, McVey set out three distinct areas of expertise that she challenges the UK to lead on modern methods of construction in the next decade, and to become the market leader by out-innovating the Japanese, the Germans and the Swedes. These were modular construction, off-site construction and digital construction. Due to their short time in office, it can be difficult to take each housing minister’s challenge seriously. However, taking McVey’s task at face value, here are a few ways in which we can lead the world (and in some ways already are). Thoughtful design The government’s own Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund is already providing backing to many companies and research organisations looking to innovate in exactly those areas. We at HTA Design are beneficiaries of research funding to do with off-site construction, and are engaged in research on design standards and digital construction. A £170m investment into UK construction may not sound a lot, but it is the first time in my career when a government has stepped in to support growth in construction R&D. It may take some time for the benefits to filter down through the industry, but it will happen. AI, design for manufacture and assembly, robotics, platforms and digital twins are all ideas that we are going to become much more familiar with in the near future. The work of newly funded groupings to form the Active Buildings Centre and the Construction Innovation Hub will pay dividends in the form of innovation in all three of the minister’s target areas. More directly and immediately, 101 George Street in Croydon, south London (pictured), is a modular residential building that has topped out at 44 storeys, making it the tallest modular building in the world, demonstrating that the UK construction industry (with a significant leg up from our client Tide Construction’s Irish skills and expertise) is capable of delivering a world-leading project. This has happened without government help or involvement and when market conditions have been right. Importantly, these new residential homes show that modular homes can be thoughtfully designed to a high quality. We are only going to solve the housing crisis if we build homes people actually want to live in. Overseas competition From my perspective, the competition for high-rise modular is not going to come from Germany, Japan or Sweden, but from fast-growing cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore, which held the record for the tallest residential modular building until 101 George Street. There, pressure on land and the availability of finance with government support means this approach is gaining traction very quickly. Competition is more likely to come from Chinese factories supplying those markets, and not from the traditional innovators. To respond directly to the minister, the best thing the government can do is to set the industry stretching targets to deliver sustainable buildings quickly and to back up these targets by supporting the industry with system-agnostic R&D opportunities. That way, the government is setting up the rules but allowing the industry to play the game. Residential modular buildings are faster, safer and more sustainable to build than traditional housing. They also emit less carbon over their lifespan and meet the design quality requirements of aspiring homeowners. If Boris Johnson’s new government is serious about building better homes at scale, this will be one of the first tests of its record. Rory Bergin is partner for sustainable futures, HTA Design