This year, the National Custom and Self Build Association’s (NaCSBA) annual competition challenged architects, designers and others to come up with pioneering ways of building a low cost starter home – with a maximum budget of £50,000. Entries came in from all over the UK, as well as Australia, Mexico, Vietnam and Ireland.
The winning team, announced at Grand Designs Live, was made of up Bristol-based Ecomotive and planning consultancy Barton Willmore. They scooped the £5,000 prize with their entry, ‘Modulhus’, which consists of a standard module that can be adapted to suit the customer – including both traditional and contemporary styles.
The modules, built with low-impact materials, can also be arranged as terraces or a low-rise block of flats, as well as individual dwellings.
The structural units are prefabricated in a factory, where future occupants can choose the number, size and arrangement of modules for the size of home they need. The factory self-finish option combines construction skills, training and support to enable residents to complete the units within the factory itself.
Alternatively, part-finished modules can be delivered to site and completed by the new owners. The team’s standard 66m2 two bedroom ‘self-finish’ home would cost just £49,644.
Alex Dutton, design associate at Barton Willmore said: “The key aim of our design is to make it easier for people to benefit from a self build home. It gives people the opportunity to be involved in the design and build and gain skills in construction. It’s low-energy, totally flexible but most importantly it offers an affordable and achievable solution to home ownership with a cost for the smallest home of under £50k.”
Well done @bartonwillmore @ecomotive this year's winners http://t.co/GyzFz6GAOi pic.twitter.com/JpOOdqK3dX
— NaCSBA (@nacsba) 20 October 2016
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