Work is underway on 82 units of affordable housing, part of a £10 million development in Chiltern Close, Llanishen, Cardiff, funded by Wales & West Housing and delivered by JG Hale Construction. Scheduled to be completed in autumn 2019, the scheme is unusual in that all five blocks involve large sections of the homes, such as windows, floors and roof cassettes, all being manufactured offsite.
By using this technique homes can be built in a much more cost effective way, often with a healthier carbon footprint than developments that employ traditional building methods. Moreover, the homes will use a revolutionary insulation product called TrisoWarm Hybrid Insulated Panel, whereby the whole panel is insulated within a factory environment. Developed by Hale, the product, which received approval from the BBA (British Board of Agrément) last year, has the potential to substantially reduce heating bills and construction periods.
“The biggest problem in the UK is the weather. If it’s pouring down with rain, we cannot complete externals etc. However, by using the TrisoWarm system along with offsite manufacturing, we can design and complete a house very quickly. Another factor influencing our decision on using TrisoWarm is that within the British Construction Industry there is currently a lack of bricklayers so off-site manufacturing alleviates this problem,” explained Jonathan Hale, chairman of JG Hale Group.
Other benefits of the project include the employment of three or four apprentices. Hale will also deliver a number of community initiatives during the project.
“This is an important development for Wales & West Housing as it supports the much-needed demand in Cardiff for high-quality affordable housing for over 55s. We are looking forward to working with JG Hale to develop this scheme and seeing the benefits the ‘TrisoWarm’ system will bring to improve the overall build quality and keep heating bills down for our residents,” said Grant Prosser, Wales & West Housing Development manager.
The Chiltern Close scheme has been funded by Wales & West Housing in partnership with the Welsh Government and City of Cardiff Council.
