Modular building systems on the rise
Social housing green paper does not go far enough
Industry News
Modular building systems on the rise
Housing deficit and skills shortages have led to sustained growth in the panelised modular building systems market , a new report from AMA Research shows .
The UK market for panelised modular building systems has performed relatively strongly over the past three years or so , and is estimated to have grown by 26 % between 2014 and 2017 .
The main product type is timber frame building systems , which is competing with light gauge steel , precast concrete and other engineered wood-based panels , including structural insulated panels ( SIPS ) and cross laminated timber ( CLT ) systems .
Estimates for 2018 onwards are for 4 % growth per year , until 2020 .
AMA Research ’ s definition of the market consists of pre-fabricated , 2-dimensional frames or panels in systems for constructing walls , partitions , roofs and floors , typically supplied to site as systems in flatpack format .
Until 2016 , the market for panelised modular building systems had seen steady demand
resulting from improving conditions in the overall construction market , particularly in the
residential sector , and the market has benefitted from an improved performance in some key end use sectors , including education , entertainment , leisure and offices , though more
recently , the UK construction market has been less positive .
Several trends have been driving the market for panelised modular building systems . The drive towards sustainable development , coupled with the need to meet energy efficiency and carbon reduction targets , would seem to weigh in favour of offsite construction . Panelised modular buildings also generate less waste , typically have superior airtightness , and hence thermal insulation performance , than brick and block construction .
CIOB launches free sustainability course
The Chartered Institute of Building Academy is launching a new massive open online course ( MOOC ) on sustainable development . This follows the success of the first ever construction-focused MOOC which the Chartered Institute of Building ( CIOB ) ran last year , attracting more than 3000 construction professionals in over 100 countries .
The five-week interactive course , which opens next month , has been developed in partnership with London South Bank University , UK . The course is free and open to anyone working in the built environment sector globally .
Mortgage market subdued & competitive but building societies are positive
Lending and savings figures from the building society sector for the three months to June ¹ show that the sector accounted for over a third ( 37 %) of the growth in the mortgage market , and took more than a quarter ( 27 %) of cash savings deposits .
In the first six months of this year , 755,000 mortgages were approved across the whole UK market of which 234,064 ( 31 %) were from a building society . Even though the overall number of mortgage approvals is similar to 2017 , the balance between house purchase and re-mortgages has changed . Mortgages approved for house purchase are down 4 % and re-mortgages are up by 7 %.
Social housing green paper does not go far enough
The Government has published its social housing green paper , “ A new deal for social housing ”, which looks to ensure homes are safe and decent , complaints are resolved effectively , residents are empowered and the regulator strengthened , associated stigmas tackled and supply expanded , while home ownership supported .
Key proposals include :
• Allowing tenants to buy as little as 1 % of their property each year
• Speeding up the tenants complaints process
• Introduction of performance indicators and new league tables
• Allowing councils to continue having a choice over their use of fixed term tenancies
• Giving the regulator ‘ more teeth ’ to make sure housing is of good quality
• Emphasising different delivery models , such as Community Land Trusts
The National Federation of Builders ( NFB ) welcomes the papers approach to solving existing social housing problems but warns that proposed changes do not go far enough .
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