Buma Modular Housing System
This project was conceived, planned and implemented by Mike while acting as London Development Director for Hyde Housing Association, working directly with Chief Executive Charlie Adams.
Using his knowledge and experience of ‘Modern Methods of Construction’, and embracing the ‘Egan agenda’ to improve building process’s as they relate to off-site construction, Mike was asked to devise a brief to develop a building system that could lead to homes being erected very fast causing minimal disruption to neighbours, and if need be a system that could be readily demountable so the homes could be relocated elsewhere. The system would then lend itself to the temporary use of sites whose long term use was undecided so maximising the use of land in urban areas such as London where there was a pressing need for housing. A further challenge was as part of the brief the building system should be both high quality and sustainable, regardless of the fact that it could be demountable, and not only meet but exceed current building regulation standards.
The Housing Corporation offered to part fund research using their innovation fund and grant assist early projects.
Mike put together a professional team and PCKO Architects were appointed as principal designers. Other members included Alan Conisbee Structural Engineers and Walker Management Cost Consultants.
As PCKO developed the design for this system it became imperative to find a constructor who not only understood the concept but was able to build the accommodation economically. Buma Systems SA of Krakow Poland were selected as the constructor partner and developed the design with PCKO and other consultants to ensure it complied fully with UK standards.
Barling Court Stockwell became the first project. Mike project managed this development on land owned by Hyde Housing Association. The development comprised 8 flats ( 4 x 2 bed 4 person; 4 x 1 bed 2 person).
The flats were manufactured in Krakow and were delivered to sites as modules. Lifted by crane onto a prepared site, the erection of the modules took only 4 days and the building was completed in two weeks. The contract value was £1.2 million.
The construction of the project was featured on BBC and ITV television news and also received wide coverage by the national and professional press.
Wyndham Road Southwark was the second Buma project managed by Mike. This was for the development of 18 apartments on land owned by Southwark Council. The Council only wanted to lease the land for a short period of time and because of this temporary use of the site for housing would normally have been out of the question. However, as Buma is demountable this system was practical to use on this land. Moreover, innovative foundations were used in the form of screw piles developed by Roger Bullivant. The piles themselves could be ‘unscrewed’ from out of the ground and re-used elsewhere in association with the flats above. The result was a very sustainable building system of high design quality built in minimum construction time minimising disturbance to the local community. The contract value of this project was £3 million.
As the result of these two projects PCKO Architects won a Commendation for ‘Best Innovative Technology’ in the National Home Builder Design Awards in 2005, and Building Design Architect of the Year in 2005.
The key to success in these projects is the ability to put together the right team.
