Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey has launched a pilot scheme to address the needs of future generations, starting with two new prototype homes at its Dargavel Village development at Bishopton.
As part of its on-going research programme, titled Project 2020, Taylor Wimpey has introduced two new homes at its development in Bishopton. The prototypes are part of a trial, aimed at addressing changing customer needs, including allowing individuals to adapt their homes to their requirements.
The homes are also intended to demonstrate greater build efficiency and deliver substantial advances in reducing energy consumption, tackling climate change and addressing customer demands.
Local MSP and Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work, Derek Mackay MSP was on-hand to reveal the two prototype homes. He said: “It is great to see housebuilders looking at how they can deliver for changing customer lifestyles and the environment, adopting the latest technologies from around the world.
“We are all aware of the urgent environmental issues affecting the world we live in, and businesses across Scotland can play a vital role in helping to safeguard it for future generations through the delivery of sustainable solutions.”
The Project 2020 Design competition, in partnership with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), was launched in 2016 by Taylor Wimpey. The two-stage competition invited architects from across the globe to design new house types that were innovative, cost effective, capable of high-quality mass production and would appeal to future customers and their changing needs.
With over 100 entries from 14 countries, it was the ‘Infinite House’ designed by Open Studio Architects that impressed the judging panel due to its potential to accommodate multiple configurations to suit different demographics.
The Infinite house range is designed to reflect changing customer lifestyles, expectations and liveability. Some of the house types have the potential to suit different demographics, delivering a flexible approach which enables inhabitants to customise their home to specific living requirements.
The ‘Infinite C’ house type at Taylor Wimpey’s Dargavel Village development will be ‘Gold Compliant’, meaning that it is significantly more advanced than the current 2015 building standards. Incorporating high performance insulation and increased renewable energy technology, the ‘Infinite C’ has been constructed using closed panel timber frame.
Graeme Oswald, Design & Planning Manager at Taylor Wimpey said: “Project 2020 is about seeking out the most up-to-date research available and building homes to match how our customers want to live, by using innovative construction methods and materials that will deliver the quality they expect.
“These prototypes will prove invaluable in building Taylor Wimpey’s future strategies and ensure the homes that are built for the next generation of customers exceed their expectations, suit their changing lifestyles and meet the highest environmental standards.”
In total there are nine prototype units which are being built across West Scotland, Manchester and Oxfordshire, where Taylor Wimpey’s regional teams will review different build methodologies and new technologies and suitable materials. Each region is trialling a different method of construction.
