A new type of type of factory-built house, which its inventor claims will “disrupt the convention of house building in the UK”, is to be launched in the UK in October.
Stephen McCready, a former developer in Northern Ireland and pioneer of carbon neutral housing, has been backed by a Swiss investor to bring a new housing system to market called Nühaus, which allows a two-storey, three-bedroomed house to be built in a day. Two semi-detached houses will be built on the BRE’s Innovation Park and will be designed to meet Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
The housing system features bespoke structural insulated panels that can achieve air tightness values of 1.2 m3/hr/m2@50Pa. The fully rigid modular solution arrives on site fully painted, decorated, plumbed, wired and with kitchen, bathroom, windows and doors installed and fitted.
Nühaus managing director McCready said: “The Nühaus system provides affordable homes delivering affordable warmth, no oil no gas. We build our super energy efficient houses in a factory, so you don’t have to build them in the rain anymore, all our houses are Code Level 4 as standard, and can be upgraded to 5 or 6 if required.”
A two-storey, three-bedroomed house can be built in a day
McCready said he had lined up a manufacturer to fabricate the homes, but said he could not yet reveal who this was, but with the new venture they would be taking the “antithesis to the cottage industry approach”. Twelve houses have already been built using the system at two sites in Scotland.
John O’Brien, a principal consultant at the BRE, said building to Code Level 4 is very difficult using traditional building techniques, so by manufacturing all the components in a factory you can control the quality and ensure airtightness. Modular panels arrive on truck already waterproofed, so there is no need to install a membrane. Plumbing and services pre-fitted. Houses can be erected in a day, and around 10 days including the roof.
Nuhaus will be initially aimed at housing associations. O’Brien said the cost was around £600-£700 per sq m, plus foundation costs. “Most housing associations tend to aim for around £1,000 per sq m with social housing. So with this house code 4 isn’t really costing any more than we were achieving code 3 with.”
The affordable housing exemplar will be officially opened at the INSITE 13 sustainability conference on 2 October at BRE Watford. See www.insite13.com
