Modular housebuilder CoreHaus has officially opened its first manufacturing site in North East England – a 20,000sq ft factory in County Durham.
The company’s five-year plan will see CoreHaus producing around 1,000 modular homes a year using modern methods of construction (MMC).
Gaynor Tennant, co-founder and chair of the Offsite Alliance, along with Mark Farmer, CEO of Cast consultancy and a key adviser to government for MMC, were key speakers at the opening.
Mark Farmer said: “I am really excited to be here today. I get to open a lot of factories but this one feels very different to me.
“CoreHaus is an important step towards modernising construction. The product is very different to many modular homes; it’s a hybrid modular home with its pod and panel approach.”
CoreHaus has agreed to provide modular homes to regional housebuilder Homes by Carlton and a national social enterprise charity.
CoreHaus Managing Director Scott Bibby explained: “The housing market remains incredibly buoyant with demand continuing to outstrip supply. There’s some extremely positive collaboration going on in the industry which will increase market share and strengthen the reputation of MMC.
“We know the housing sector wants something that’s both affordable and incorporates high-quality design within a modular frame. We are already in discussions with several regional and national housing associations interested in working with our product.
“Our light gauge steel-frame system ensures that CoreHaus can be used in both urban and rural locations with elevation treatments tailored to suit each setting, providing almost unlimited design potential. The standardised modular core means the solution can be configured for homes of almost any size.”
CoreHaus is a joint-venture company between Carlton & Co Group, the parent company behind North East based Homes by Carlton, and national social enterprise Fusion21, specialists in public procurement for the built environment.
Image – CoreHaus opening: from left, Scott Bibby of CoreHaus; Gaynor Tennant, Offsite Alliance; and Mark Farmer, adviser to Government on MMC
