Royal Borough of Greenwich announces £300m contract for New Build Council homes using Modular Construction

The Royal Borough of Greenwich announces A&E Elkins as the winners of the biggest contract for new build council homes using modular construction to date. The form of contract is the ACA TAC-1 Term Alliance contract. A&E Elkins has formed an alliance with Ideal Modular Homes and shedkm to deliver up to 750 affordable rent council homes across 60 sites.

The project will run across five years with the possible extension of a further five years. A&E Elkins is appointed as the provider, shedkm is the architect with Ideal Modular Homes as the off-site manufacturer delivering the modular homes.

All the homes delivered through the Alliance will be carbon positive, meaning the operational energy of the homes will be not only better for the environment but also more affordable for the tenants helping to address the fuel poverty gap.

Established in 1963, A&E Elkins is a highly respected new build, refurbishment, planned maintenance, and roofing construction company with over 55 years’ experience in providing high quality construction solutions across various trades and sectors.

Managing Director at A&E Elkins, Ray Elkins, said: “A&E Elkins is delighted to be part of the alliance to support the Royal Borough of Greenwich in their quest to provide high quality, affordable homes that exceed carbon zero standards and reduce fuel poverty for local communities. A&E Elkins believes the council is setting a precedent that should be the standard for all new build homes.”

Delivering the future of housing, Ideal aims to deliver beautiful, sustainable homes in a cost-efficient way, while significantly improving the quality of new build homes. The modular homes can be manufactured in just four days and installed on site in just eight hours, minimising disruption to the surrounding residents and cutting the delivery programme time by up to 50%.

Founder Luke Barnes said: “Ideal is delighted to be a part of such an exciting project and alliance. Councils are under constant pressure to deliver affordable housing at a reduced cost, while still delivering on quality. This Joint Venture will see that beautifully designed high-quality homes can be  delivered in half the time that traditional methods would.”

Designing the homes for the project, shedkm, is a collective of pragmatic architects who believe in a responsibility to deliver value to their clients through design with integrity.

Alex Flint Director at shedkm said: “shedkm is very excited to be involved in this important and innovative project with Greenwich Council. Working closely with our partners, we aspire to bring the highest quality of homes to the borough. Designed to exemplar standards with sustainability at their heart, the homes will feature exceptional space standards, large expanses of glazing and robust facing materials.

The new homes look to change the perception towards off-site manufacturing, through carefully crafted and long-lasting materials, and considered internal layouts. In addition, we will work alongside the landscape architects to ensure that we create new neighbourhoods with identity and a sense of place, providing the residents with a sense of belonging.”

Royal Greenwich Cabinet Member for Housing Cllr Anthony Okereke comments: “Employing modular techniques as part of our Greenwich Builds programme is allowing us to quickly deliver the high quality and sustainable council homes so badly needed in our borough. With plans for construction on 750 new homes to be underway by 2022, we're excited to be at the forefront of delivering innovative zero-carbon council properties, making good on Royal Greenwich's commitments to tackling both the housing crisis and climate change."

The Project Team have been working hard through the coronavirus crisis using virtual resources.This has enabled seamless design and Virtual Consultation events with stakeholders and the public.

A show home has been planned with a four-week design and delivery to site for 30th July.

The first of these homes for council tenants are expected to be on site before the end of this year.