Homes for Key Workers

It is estimated that London requires 66,000 homes/year to be built between 2015 and 2036(Mayor\_of\_London\_2017). With the housing situation in London already acute, developers are looking to innovative building designs to meet urban demand. One such approach is airspace development, which is the process of building new homes above existing buildings. Airspace development is particularly attractive since the primary cost of a home is typically not the building itself, but rather the land on which it is built(UCL\_2018). Indeed, in 2008, the land component accounted for \>70% of the average UK house price(New\_Economics\_Foundation\_2018).

Airspace development continues to receive significant support from central and local government, most recently with the announcement by the Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick, of new Permitted Development Right(PDR) "to encourage building upwards, increasing density in line \[to\]make the most of local infrastructure"(MHCLG\_2020).

By using modern methods of construction to deliver precision-manufactured homes, we minimise disruption to existing building occupants, with homes built in factories and installed using cranes in a matter of days. Crucially, this means that we can install large numbers of homes(10-50 per site) without displacing the existing residents. Our approach significantly reduces disruption during construction works and delivers improvements to the existing building beyond that typically available on a maintenance budget. For example, existing residents benefit from improved access, renovations to the existing building, and site landscaping, including the installation of communal rooftop gardens. As part of the planning process, we work with the local authority to assess the impact of any airspace development on the surrounding infrastructure, including promoting sustainable transport options: our airspace developments are car-free.