Clarion Housing is the UK’s largest Housing Association.  With 125,000 homes nationwide, over 350,000 people already call a Clarion Housing home their home.  Its properties are developed by Clarion Housing Group Ltd (our client), a charitable organisation which aims to build 50,000 more new homes within ten years to help tackle the country’s housing shortage.

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Like most housing providers, Clarion has an interest in adopting Volumetric Modular construction to deliver more homes, faster, and to a higher quality.  The team had identified the fourth (and final) phase of a major redevelopment at Orchard Village in Rainham as an opportunity to demonstrate these benefits, with the added bonus of minimising disturbance to residents already living in the first three phases.

 

When we joined the team, the main contractor and volumetric modular manufacturer were already in place; production was underway; and the first modules were on site. 

 

But the Clarion team had little volumetric modular experience, so we were engaged to support it through the process; tasked with delivering Building Regulations sign-off, achieving NHBC Warranty, and carrying out factory and on-site inspections to ensure the quality and compliance of the final buildings.  With the focus on fire protection since the Grenfell Tower fire, we had to be certain that the detail of the design we were being offered was adequate, buildable, and being adhered to on site.

 

We started by working to ensure the development would comply fully with Building Regulations, making regular factory and site visits with detailed reports raising queries and issues for resolution by the main contractor and the modular manufacturer.  In just two months, we achieved Building Regulations sign-off and confirmed acceptance for the NHBC warranty. 

 

Working closely with the main contractor, our hands-on involvement lasted 12 months, through the module manufacture, installation and connection on-site phases.  We conducted detailed checks to make sure the design and system as supplied matched the specification as sold (inc. third party certification); and regular observation of handover processes between manufacturer and main contractor to ensure standards were adequate and being met before building elements were closed in.

 

This project was a combination of practical deliverables and professional support. 

 

We delivered Building Regulations sign-off, NHBC Warranty, and scrutiny to ensure compliance throughout the entire production and installation pipeline. 

 

But equally as important, we supported a client team with no previous volumetric modular experience through the process, providing confidence when times got tough, sharing knowledge and insights they can adopt and adapt for future projects.