12
December 2006
Top
innovation award for Aberdeenshire
affordable
housing development
[Click
here for a text copy of full press release]
An
affordable housing development in Ballater has been recognised in this
year’s Scottish Construction Forum awards with a top award for
innovation.
The
new homes in Ballater for Tenants First,
Britain
’s largest housing co-operative, were designed by architects Michael
Gilmour Associates, to provide top-quality, energy-efficient homes for the
co-operative’s members.
The
five, three-bedroom homes in the £715,000 pilot project were fabricated
in a Dutch factory in Best, before being shipped to Ballater for on site
assembly. Taking inspiration from The Netherlands, the houses in Ballater
are the first completely pre-fabricated houses of their kind in the
UK
.
It
was Tenants First chairperson, Martin van der Lee, who first suggested
pre-fabrication as an option to achieve the desired quality, along with
reduced construction cost, low maintenance and low running costs.
Originally from the
Netherlands
, Martin facilitated Tenants First’s fact-finding visit to the factory
where they have used pre-fabrication techniques for more than 20 years.
“Aiming
to build affordable, quality homes which matched the requirements of the
architectural style of the Deeside area meant we had considered many
construction and architectural options,” explains Sandy Murray Chief
Executive of Tenants First.
“The
benefits of the innovative pre-fabricated approach are substantial. We can
achieve factory standards of quality and precision, which are otherwise
difficult to achieve on a building site. In addition, with much of the
structure and fittings already completed, the houses only take four or
five days to complete on site and are ready for occupation within four to
five weeks.
“This
results in lower costs, less need for skilled labour, fewer defects and
less waste. There is also much less danger of time delays or damage due to
bad weather and importantly, safety is improved without the need for
scaffolding or ladders.”
This
innovative construction technique also benefits tenants as the homes are
highly energy-efficient, need less maintenance and cost less to run. The
designs are also such that there are no load-bearing internal walls. This
means it is much easier to adapt the homes to suit particular tenant needs
or circumstances.
Where
the pre-fabrication method differs from timber-frame construction method
is that the panels for the Ballater project are what is known in the
industry as ‘closed panel’. Unlike timber frame, the closed panel
system leaves the factory complete with insulation, services (such as
water and electricity), plus the internal lining and external cladding,
usually a full brick finish.
Graeme
Millar, Chairman of the local economic, Scottish Construction Forum spoke
about the significance of the Ballater housing project for the entire
industry:
"One
of the key aims of the Forum is to share best practise through our
Demonstration Projects. The aim being to ensure companies across the
industry has access to the type of innovation and processes that can
help their business grow.
"I'm
sure information about the innovative solutions employed within this
development will be in of much demand from elsewhere in the
industry."
Commenting
on the fact the homes at Ballater have been awarded for their innovation,
Sandy Murray said:
“We are delighted to have been given this accolade for innovation. The
housing development at Ballater is something we at Tenants First are very
proud of, and feedback from our members who have taken up residency there
indicates the same.
“One
of the concerns about prefabrication is that the houses end up looking the
same. Our architects Michael Gilmour Associates have taken this
innovative technique and produced homes that reflect the architectural
style of the surrounding Deeside area.
“Our
thanks must go to Communities Scotland for their confidence in this
project and the extensive funding they have provided to make it all
possible. We must also thank Aberdeenshire Council and in particular,
Ritchie Johnstone for ongoing support.”
Adding
to this, John Buchan, Partner at Michael Gilmour Associates said:
“This is the second award Michael Gilmour Associates and Tenants First
have received this year for excellence in housing design and innovation.
We were thrilled that the Tenants First housing development in Portsoy was
recently highly commended at the Aberdeenshire Design Awards Ceremony, so
having now received this award for innovation is just fantastic!
“The
investigation, development and implementation of the alternative methods
of construction used in the development and imported from
Europe
was a very challenging and educating experience. The use of concrete
panel system has provided an alternative to typical timber kit
procurement. We would look forward to utilising our experience and
knowledge of the system on future projects.”
The
other members of the team on the Tenants First Ballater development were
builders Mansell, chartered quantity surveyors Murray Montgomery
Partnership and chartered structural and civil engineers Ramsay and
Chalmers.
Click
here to find out more about the development at Ballater
