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Developer targets key-worker housing shortage with German prefab system
Rod Sweet Global Construction Review
First scheme in Dorchester set to complete early next year, with a 25% faster build time predicted.
The 79-unit Oak House in Dorchester will have a prefabricated concrete frame, hollow-core floors, facade and internal and external walls. Image: Courtesy of Goldbeck
Health and care property developer Prime has teamed up with Goldbeck, an industrialised construction company founded in Germany, to build a 79-unit apartment block for key workers in Dorchester.
Called Oak House, the building on Poundbury Road will have a mix of studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments on a plot near Dorchester County Hospital.
The design-and-build project is set for completion in early 2027. It is the first time Goldbeck is deploying its prefabrication techniques on a UK residential scheme.
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A company spokesperson told CM it would prefabricate the precast concrete frame, hollow-core floors, internal and external walls, external facade, bathrooms and utility cupboards.
They added that the system developed in Germany has been adapted to meet the requirements of the UK market, and that it’s expected to cut construction time by up to 25%.
The project is being funded by Royal London Asset Management.
The building will be operated by not-for-profit property management company, Hyve by Prime.
Tackling the key-worker housing shortage
Oak House is just the beginning for the partnership with Prime, Goldbeck said.
They plan to build more around the country to tackle the structural housing shortages for key workers, taking advantage of Goldbeck’s faster delivery model.
A study by homeless charity Shelter last year found that in almost half (45%) of local authorities in England, renting in the private sector was unaffordable for newly qualified nurses.
That figure rises to 93% of local authorities in London and South East England.
In September last year, Goldbeck launched its first UK production hub through an exclusive partnership with concrete slab manufacturer Oranmore Precast in Nottinghamshire.
