Yorkon awarded contract for the UK's first apartments scheme in the private sector built off-site
The award winning developer Urban Splash has placed an order for its new 102-apartments scheme, Moho at Castlefield in Manchester, with modular building specialists and Portakabin subsidiary, Yorkon. The apartments will be the first in the private residential sector to be built off-site.
Designed by Shedkm, Moho is the fifth development at Castlefield as Urban Splash leads the comprehensive regeneration of the area. Moho will provide six storeys of high quality residential accommodation for private sale, an element of commercial space on the ground floor and private courtyard gardens.
Urban Splash is pioneering the application of off-site construction in the private sector and follows the success of this highly innovative building method for a number of award-winning mixed tenure housing schemes.
"This project is a major step forward in the use of modular construction for housing", said Keith Blanshard, Director and General Manager of Yorkon. "The design positively embraces and celebrates the latest innovations in building technology, and maximises off-site working."
Editor's Notes
- Yorkon's pioneering work in the application of off-site construction to housing has been recognised by a series of national and international awards for the Murray Grove Apartments in London and the Sixth Avenue Apartments in York. These have included:
- Housing Design Award
- RIBA Award for Architecture
- Royal Fine Art Commission Trust Award (housing category)
- UK Design Award - American Institute of Architects
- Civic Trust Awards 2002 and 2003
- Best Housing Association Development – National Homebuilder Awards
- Modular construction involves the manufacture and fitting out of apartments in a controlled factory environment, while the foundations and steelwork are progressed on site. The modules are delivered to site by road where they are craned into position complete with bathrooms, kitchens, heating, lighting, doors, windows, partitions and balconies. The benefits include:
- Work on site is safer, quieter and cleaner
- Significantly reduced programme times
- Costs are controlled
- Quality is guaranteed
- Disruption to the local community is minimised
- Earlier occupation is possible
- Wastage of materials is reduced
- Construction is not affected by adverse weather conditions.
