McCarthy Stone have made a national commitment to create its next generation of retirement homes using eco-friendly modern methods of construction.
The commitment will back the Government’s agenda to increase housing built offsite – and will cement a long-standing relationship between the UK’s leading developer of retirement communities and MMC experts Box Architects.
Box have previously partnered McCarthy Stone on developments in Morpeth, South Shields, Ripon, Darlington, Holcombe Brook and Guisborough. Their latest collaboration is a 48-apartment scheme in Hexham that will incorporate a LGSF (Light Gauge Steel Framing) offsite structural system, designed to cut development times by as much as 50% and fast-track the delivery of housing for older people.
“Embracing MMC can help us deliver high-quality retirement communities that push the boundaries of what consumers expect, while cutting energy bills, waste and construction times,” said McCarthy Stone CEO John Tonkiss.
“The Government has prioritised off-site manufacturing in recognition that we need different solutions to the housing crisis. We are responding to this with a serious, long-term commitment that will be a win-win for investors, policy makers and, above all, our customers.”
McCarthy Stone will use the LGSF solution on four other sites in 2021, totalling more than 200 units.
Box Architects Associate Simon Stallard believes McCarthy Stone’s commitment to MMC is the natural response to the demand for speed of construction, reliability, precision, cost certainty and innovation. He said: “Here at Box, we believe that modular housing and standardisation of components in factory-controlled working environments will ensure consistent quality and will result in a range of exciting new products that are safer, more sustainable and better value for money than anything that has gone before.”
The benefits of MMC
- Reduced build times, fewer risks and increased project management control
- Construction times cut by up to 50%Eco-friendly – high proportion of recycled materials
- Dynamic and flexible – ideal for the modern retirement market
- Increased levels of build quality compared with fully onsite – consistency and control achieved in factories
“Embracing MMC can help us deliver high-quality retirement communities that push the boundaries of what consumers expect, while cutting energy bills, waste and construction times.
John Tonkiss, CEO, McCarthy Stone