Britain’s housing shortage has long been making the news and was addressed in all political manifestos in the last elections, labelled as one of the most important priorities in the UK today. All parties promised to build between 200,000 to 300,000 homes over this government term.

The question however is, is this a realistic figure using traditional methods of construction?

One method that is a viable option to meet these figures is the use of a more modern method, off-site construction.

Off-site construction is defined by a proportion of construction taking place in a factory controlled environment.

Elements Europe specialises in manufacturing Room Modules and all steel elements to the building, that can be delivered to the site and installed, which can include stair cores and roof cassettes.

Off-site construction has many benefits and reaches higher levels of quality than traditional methods.

A dedicated team working in a controlled factory environment offer an exceptional quality thanks to its repetitive nature. The construction process is also not affected by the great British weather, a constant worry for developers, and investors.

The environmental benefits far outweigh those on-site too. In a factory, a waste management strategy can be implemented far easier than on site. Not only this, waste can be significantly reduced as processes can be in place to ensure materials are reused.

The carbon footprint of delivery vehicles is also reduced as procurement teams buy in bulk. Off-site construction also offers one single base for skilled workers without having to travel to various jobs around the country, again reducing carbon footprint.

Off-site construction is, therefore, a viable and more environmentally friendly option to help meet the government’s agenda in increasing the number of new build homes.

Information taken from Property Week 10.07.15