6 Introduction More Homes Through Manufacture A Housing Forum Working Group Report Introduction Housebuilding is changing. An urgent need for more homes, coupled with a shortage of those skilled in traditional trades, is driving housing innovation. Encouraged by Government, housebuilders and housing associations are turning to more modern methods of constructing homes, increasingly building key components in factories and assembling them on site. Our aim at The Housing Forum – which draws expertise from Shelagh Grant, Chief Executive The Housing Forum all those involved in design, building and developing housing – is to help build more and better homes and that is why we are delighted to work with one of the leading housing providers, The Hyde Group, to explore, capture and celebrate these exciting developments in housebuilding. The Housing Forum, in its 2015 Call for Action, said, “Britain urgently needs a new strategy to build more homes, invest in the existing housing stock and overcome a capacity and skills defi cit which is threatening to create a barrier to increasing supply. But we must ensure that increasing output is not at the detriment of quality. If we are to leave a lasting legacy for future generations, we must innovate to drive the highest standard of design and performance in new and existing homes.” We don’t pretend for one second that offsite technology is the only answer to solving the housing crisis, but it can play a much greater part and should be developed and nurtured. The resulting homes can be of a higher quality, more comfortable and warmer than traditionally constructed homes, and of course, built far more quickly. This report provides a useful commentary on new types of construction for housing, dispels a few misconceptions and advances the debate on how offsite manufacture can move into the mainstream. We hope consumers and housing professionals alike will fi nd it useful, interesting and inspiring.
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