New Hammersmith homes take just 11 days to build

The need for innovative and affordable accommodation in highly congested areas of the capital may have been solved, as a new housing project is set to begin in Hammersmith and Fulham involving factory-built homes.

Andrew Johnson, the council's cabinet member for housing, has praised the initiative and says that this pilot scheme in one of the country's most densely populated areas could set a precedent for other councils to follow suit, with a potentially "significant impact on London's housing crisis".

A the three-bedroom prototype named "Rational House" took just 11 days to construct in Biscay Road, Hammersmith last year, and plans are now well underway to expand the project.

The team behind this engineering feat says their product holds the key to solving complex urban planning issues, such as how to provide houses that are both high quality and affordable.

Now the council plans to build a further 12 homes at the Spring Vale Estate in Brook Green using this method of construction.

Factory-built panels are transported and assembled on site in order to create new housing that can easily fit into tight spaces, which is likely to open up extra options for people seeking accommodation in busy and overcrowded urban areas.

Rooms can be changed in size even once construction has been completed, providing flexibility to residents as lifestyles and family sizes change over time.

The borough is a popular destination for newcomers to London, with vibrant commercial streets such as Hammersmith High Street and King's Road, and is also home to three Premiership football clubs: Chelsea, Fulham and Queen's Park Rangers.

Hammersmith - which is in zone two of London's transport network - is also home of the famous Apollo Theatre, and is only fifteen minutes by Tube from the West End.

In order to deal with the ever-increasing demand for housing the council is looking to create up to a further 100 homes in the borough, and has identified a number of sites where this novel type of construction can be applied.

Posted by Andy Britten

Published 30th November, 2012

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