Urban Splash completes New Islington modular homes

Urban Splash has finished the first phase of its ‘hoUSe’ project in New Islington, Manchester, with all 43 homes already sold off-plan.

Designed by architect shedkm, Urban Splash is planning to roll out the concept across the UK, providing affordable homes for families.

House New IslingtonThe New Islington site is the first in Manchester, and is being funded by the Greater Manchester Property Venture Fund. Urban Splash also has planning permission for 71 homes off Springfield

The first 43 hoUSes adopt a traditional terraced approach but internally layouts can be configured to tailor one, two, three, four and five bedroom homes with an open-plan or traditional feel.

The homes in New Islington are made of volumetric timber pods that are delivered pre-assembled to site.

Ian Killick, director at shedkm, said: “This concept has been a long time in the making and we believe that it is a game-changer to tackle the current housing shortage this country is facing. They also happen to be homes that people are proud to live in.”

Tom Bloxham, chairman of Urban Splash, said: “HoUSe is born from our desire to create something for customers who want to live in well-designed homes and stay in the city centre. We noticed that within UK cities there is a real lack of diversity in terms of new residential stock and our traditional customers, those who had bought and enjoyed Urban Splash flats, would ultimately get older, richer and end up moving to Victorian and Georgian terraces in the suburbs.

“HoUSe is our way of offering them something in the city. It’s a really exciting prospect and I am as excited by this as I was by our first lofts over 20 years ago. At prices less per square foot than city centre flats, lower maintenance costs than old Victorian houses or blocks of flats, big floorplates, high ceilings and huge windows they have already been well received and I’m certain will be a big part of Urban Splash’s future.”

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how much were these going for again?

By dreamer

A great innovation from US. All house builders should be using Modern Methods of Construction as standard. It is a damning indictment on the state of the industry and of market failure in new build housing that so few do. If I have a gripe, it is that the facades could do with some variety (all black cladding on a grey day looks a bit oppressive) and more attention to public realm.

By Place comment

Not bad.Ancoats and New Islington is a lot better.Like the close proximity to the water.The public realm needs sorting,especially that Midden Cottonfields park.

By Elephant

Starting at £250k, on a former social housing estate. The architects talk about solving the housing shortage whilst the developer talks about catering for the upper end of the market. This is not a ‘game-changer’ yet.

By Jonty

Does that price include internal walls? I heard those were extra.

Agree. Isn’t that just like all forms of gentrification: cater for the “already haves” and continue to ignore the “have nots”? Depends what US’s strategy with these is: was this just a test flagship of this type of development to “cream” the market of those who’d be willing to pay a premium, maybe to be followed by cheap-as-Chips follow-ups elsewhere? Hope so.

By Simon

This is not “complete”. About 26 of the 44 houses are complete.

By Anonymous

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