In 2020 we took a disused council office building and replaced it with an award-winning block of 13 council owned apartments which will provide desperately needed, high quality social housing. Derelict since 2015 this building is now home for families and individuals formerly on the housing waiting list in Lewes District.
As well as providing safe, spacious and bright apartments from our ModernHome range, the stand-out feature of this block is the overall building performance and renewable energy strategy. Designed using Fabric First principles the homes are supplemented by a large solar photovoltaic array which feeds 13 individual domestic batteries, each storing the valuable solar generated electricity and removing an estimated 60% of the annual electricity costs for each apartment – This building represents a huge step forward in the supply of social housing and in the consideration of long-term financial benefits for council tenants.
The building has also been designed to incorporate fire safety features which are currently not required but are anticipated to be specified in building regulations in the coming years. Fireproof materials and cutting edge suppression systems mean that these homes are not just affordable to tenants, but are extremely safe to live in.
“There is no doubt that this is a game changer, not just in terms of raising the bar for sustainability and fire safety, but also in build quality and finish. The apartments are stunning examples of what social housing professionals should be striving for”
Councillor William Meyer, Cabinet Member for Housing, Lewes District Council.
Boutique Modern worked closely with Stickland Wright architects, OSM Construction and Lewes District Council to develop a scheme which responded directly to the housing challenges in Newhaven. Not only providing much needed, high quality housing, but enhancing the area and educating residents on the opportunities of sustainable construction – The building is constructed of 38 modules forming 7no 1-bedroom and 6no 2-bedroom apartments, as well as cycle store and car park with EV charging points for 12 electric cars.
The site on Fort Road is less than a mile away from the Boutique Modern factory where the modules were manufactured. Which provided a fantastic case study in community wealth, social value and the use of local scale modular manufacturing as a sustainable solution to the housing shortage.
“We have 1500 people on our housing register who are desperate for affordable homes to live in – This particular development saves people money and could allow us to come ‘off-grid for up to 3 months of the year”
Councillor Zoe Nichollson, Deputy Leader of the Council, Lewes District Council.
The development marks the launch of the ModernHome range as our first completed development using the apartments and design principles utilised across the range. We hope to see many more ModernHome projects across East Sussex and the wider South East and that Fort Road will set a trend in improving the quality and performance of social housing
For more information, or to find out how we
can help you with your next project:
Email: info@boutiquemodern.co.uk
