shedkm + urban splash present prefabricated 'hoUSe' scheme

shedkm + urban splash unveil modular housing scheme in central manchester
image © urban splash

architects shedkm and regeneration company urban splash have teamed up to design a series of canalside homes in manchester’s new islington neighborhood. named ‘hoUSe’, the modular development gives homeowners the chance to choose the layout of their property, representing a viable alternative to mass house-building schemes common throughout the UK. externally, the first 43 ‘hoUSes’ adopt a traditional terraced approach. however, internal layouts can form one, two, three, four or five bedroom homes with either an open-plan configuration or a more ‘traditional’ feel.

the pitched roof units feature grey exteriors
image © urban splash

the residences are made of volumetric timber pods that are delivered to site with minimal disruption to neighbors. during the off-site production process, all standards and tolerances can be monitored in a factory-controlled environment. this means that the houses are energy efficient, as well as flexible to plan and adapt. ranging between two and three storeys, the slender pitched roof units feature grey exteriors, broken up by thick-banded black window bays that provide sweeping views and plentiful light. residents can opt for the home’s communal areas to be located either at the base or at top of the house. the first 43 dwellings have already sold out, with the architects stating that the design can be readily adapted to a range of different locations across the UK.

thick-banded black window bays provide views and light
image © jack hobhouse

‘we’re delighted to see the first phase of the hoUSe project completed at new islington,’ said ian killick, director at shedkm. ‘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.’

the residences are formed from volumetric timber pods
image © jack hobhouse

‘hoUSe is born from our desire to create something for customers who want to live in well-designed homes and stay in the city center,’ added urban splash chairman tom bloxham. ‘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.

residents can opt for the home’s communal areas to be located either at the base or at top of the house
image © urban splash

‘hoUSe is our way of offering them something in the city’, continues bloxham. 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 center 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.’

internal layouts can form one, two, three, four or five bedroom homes
image © jack hobhouse