Car park home production has over 60 units in planning
ZED Pods, the company behind a new concept in modular low-carbon starter homes, kicks off 2019 with 65 units in planning or pre-application at sites across the UK including Lincoln, Essex and London. This exceeds the company’s planned 2018 start-up target of 60 housing units.
Manufacturing has also started on the first 11 prefabricated homes at ZED Pods’ selected manufacturing partner in Peterborough. This includes nine one-bed and two two-bed units, all designed for installation raised above the ground, normally in car parks, a key design feature for customers who intend to make use of existing parking provisions beneath.
Dr Rehan Khodabuccus, ZED Pod’s operations director says: “Local Authorities and developers are particularly attracted to the fact that our Pod homes can be built over existing parking or on land outside the development plan to deliver rapid, affordable, low energy housing solutions for sale or rent.”
“ZEDPod housing can add to a local authority’s existing housing allocation, while existing car parks continue to function.”
There are many factors which councils tended to be interested in. These included the flexible design approach which enables different housing styles to maximise each plot along with the rapid installation and a design life the same as timber frame buildings. In addition, the portability of the pods also allows them to be moved to different sites if requirements change.
ZED Pods use cross laminated timber (CLT) for the frame, walls and floors, as a dry construction technique is required for factory-built homes. CLT is more dimensionally stable than a timber frame so does not shrink or settle and is far easier to transport from the factory to site and lift in place. CLT has a low embodied carbon content, is sustainably sourced and had exception fire rating qualities, so ZED Pods feel it is ideal for factory build homes.
To meet expected demand, the company is continuing to refine the production process to speed up build times and deliver efficiencies. Currently it takes the team 10 days to build a single unit, ready for transportation and delivery to site. By overlapping production and further experimentation the team hopes to significantly improve this with the goal of four pods per week.
Following the success of Ecobuild 2018, the company again will be at FutureBuild, 5-7 March 2019, at Excel London. Housing Associations and Local Authorities wanting to learn more about the Pod and ZED Pods’ innovative ways of delivering affordable homes on council owned sites can visit the team at Stand F1.
