New Modular Social Housing for South Wales from Wernick Buildings
Wernick Buildings and social housing association, Valleys to Coast are in the early stages of building eight new modular homes in Bridgend, South Wales, after being awarded funding from Welsh Government late last year.
Funding for these homes was made available through the Innovative Housing Programme which aims to help inform Welsh Government, Housing Associations and Local Authorities about the type of homes it should support in the future. The project will contribute to the 20,000 affordable homes target set by Welsh Government.
Construction is underway at the factory in Port Talbot. Minister for Housing and Regeneration Rebecca Evans who recently visited the factory said, “Valleys to Coast is clearly ambitious to build the homes of the future, using modern methods of construction. We are committed to support projects like this, which are innovative and creative in their approach, and I was delighted to get a close up look at the modules being put together.”
Why Modular?
The modular homes will be made up of individual factory built modules, complete with fitted appliances, heating and electrics, which will then be delivered and combined on-site to form a complete house. Off-site construction means that work can take place on-site ready for installation while the modules are built in the factory – thus drastically reducing the amount of time to complete a project and disturbance to the local community.
Compared to traditional construction methods, modular homes also help to reduce the carbon footprint of a housing project. Wernick Buildings are committed to sustainability; the factory itself uses solar power, buildings are designed to minimise waste during manufacture, almost all waste is recycled and wood is FSC certified.
Stuart Wilkie, MD at Wernick Buildings Kenfig has worked on the project from inception, saying “We have local people working on local housing, which has been rewarding for all involved. Modular is a sustainable solution for residential initiatives and this project shows what can be achieved.”
Click here to find out more about modular buildings.