As we mentioned in Part 1  of this mini series, just 14% of the construction industry workforce in 2020 were women and just 2% were women employed on site. We decided to share two stories from our Facit Homes team in the hope of inspiring others and raising awareness of the possibilities. Alessandra Di Simone, Contracts Manager at Facit Homes Construction has often had a reputation for being a macho industry and the culture that surrounds stereotypical construction behaviour could understandably be a deterrent for women joining the industry. As most of us are aware, traditional construction is heavily reliant on manual labour -much more so than innovative house building techniques, such as prefabrication and digital manufacturing. Even so, a recent Facit Homes project had just two female trade professionals working on site, a plasterer and a renderer, which took the total percentage of women in the project to 4% - just 5 of the 120 individuals involved. We strongly believe that there are many roles that women can enter into, especially with the ever evolving digitisation of construction. Meet Alessandra Di Simone, Contracts Manager at Facit Homes. Alessandra spends her working day with the team in the studio or visiting the construction site to coordinate subcontractors. She often deals with trade professionals required for on site tasks and believes that gender shouldn’t be a barrier. “Whether you’re a woman shouldn’t be relevant. The majority of construction tasks can be done by anyone.” As a traditional industry that has been slow to encourage and adopt change, Alessandra believes that this environment isn’t an obvious choice for many women. “It’s not that women don’t want to do it, more that they aren’t aware of the options.” However, she believes that the digital transformation of the industry is a more interesting conversation - as it might have a knock on effect and open up construction to many individuals that wouldn’t have otherwise considered it. “The point is changing the way that people view construction. It is more digital than ever. Our new concept of involving studio leadership on site and using more technology to do this makes construction more efficient and accurate and moves away from the traditional expectations. It changes the rules of the game. Gender balance on site could be a consequence of this approach.” Managing the project costs and liaising with our customers, as well as dealing with trade professionals, Alessandra interacts with a variety of people and opinions. While the vast majority of construction workers are professional, Alessandra has noticed that some still seem reluctant to embrace change and might question her authority. “It doesn’t happen very often because most people understand that money doesn’t have a gender. A subcontractor might question what I’m asking them to do. It is annoying but you have to be resilient. It’s just another problem to solve so I don’t give it too much weight. I don’t have time to convince them and I don’t mind whether they have to hear things from me or from Ryan to make it happen.” A negative industry stereotype is that builders and subcontractors are notoriously difficult to deal with. While plenty do fit this mould, we have managed to find talented, reliable and professional individuals that have quickly become regulars on a Facit Homes site. “I’ve had some great experiences coordinating with the guys on site. The site culture is always improving and becoming more professional, especially with wider opportunities for more individuals.” Alessandra walking through the upcoming works with Dan, Lead Carpenter on site. Encouraging women into the industry is something that Alessandra is very keen to get behind as she believes that more need the awareness of the opportunities in construction. “I think there are so many people that don’t get the chance to be part of the industry. It would be great for more to know about the possibilities. Moving towards more digital processes is a great opportunity for technologically minded people, for example.” What is a Contracts Manager? Alessandra supervises the costs of all orders, coordinating the spend on a project and ensuring that each one stays on budget. As Contracts Manager, she is often found tendering (compiling and comparing prices for professionals to undertake work) but is sometimes also responsible for ordering and organising sub-contractors as part of cost control. Monitoring the project spend, Alessandra creates monthly valuations for our customers to review and approve. These evaluate the budget that has been spent for the project in that month and following this, Anatilde Conceicao, our Financial Controller at Facit Homes, issues an invoice to be paid by the customer. If members of the project team are busy completing drawings or technical specifications, Alessandra might step in to place orders on their behalf so they can continue with those tasks. At the very start of a project, Alessandra works closely with Bruce Bell, CEO of Facit Homes, to create the ‘cost plan’. This is a detailed breakdown of all costs of the project and is based on various factors, such as the size of the building, technical requirements and any detailed design choices. An overview of all costs in the project, the cost plan is updated whenever any decisions mean changes. Alessandra and Bruce quote a provisional sum when further design or investigation is required to firm up the price of something. “A cost plan takes a lot of time for us to create and it is something that we are often very proud of once completed. The accuracy of our costs is important to both us and our customers so we take it very seriously.” They have created from scratch a comprehensive costing software system, which categorises all of the various aspects that make up a project price for the customer. It includes materials, labour, subcontractors, delivery, waste and sundries. Every price draws on historical data including our own meticulously tracked labour costs from live sites. Alessandra trying out a nail gun she had ordered for the team. Journey to Facit Homes Alessandra’s background is in finance with a degree in Economics. In September 2018, she joined Facit Homes as Office Manager and, having been part of the team for a few days, was asked to help with ordering for a new project. Back in 2018, the Facit Homes process involved different project managers for each project with less overall control over the money spent. Interested in improving the process, solving that problem and helping to make Facit Homes more profitable and efficient, Alessandra’s role pivoted to try to improve the relationship between construction and costing. “I basically fell in love with construction. It’s challenging. No day is the same and there are always new problems to solve. Very often there aren’t instructions and it’s up to you and your team to resolve the issue.”   Going on to complete a RICS  (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) course for Quantity Surveying, Alessandra learnt how to control costs and maximise the value of each construction project. The course gave her an overview of what to expect from a project and how to manage the costs. Q&A with Alessandra What is your advice for those starting out? “Try not to be intimidated by what you might have seen about construction sites. They’re places with real scope for learning.” What do you love about construction? “It is logical, problem solving and constantly moving. No day is the same and my job is constantly challenging me to find a way around an issue. Construction is a rational and hands on industry to join and it is less about muscles than ever before.” Does the team and site culture make a difference? “Absolutely. Working in the studio with Bruce and the team is collaborative. We try not to take things too seriously. It can be stressful so being able to step back and find the funny side of things definitely helps. Visiting the construction team on site has shown me how much of a difference professional and genuinely nice individuals can make to a site atmosphere.” Should women join the industry? “Yes! I don’t know any women in construction (except for Jan) but I hope that the digital approach to construction will mean that more start to consider it. It has a reputation for back breaking work, which is not always the case - especially with Facit Homes construction projects. It would be great for more women to know about the roles available and feel encouraged to join an evolving industry.”

In 2020, just 14% of the construction industry workforce were women. Even then, there is a further disparity between women working in construction and women employed on site. Jan Balbaligo, Site Coordinator for Facit Homes As Building.co.uk  states, “The data shows just how deep-rooted the issue is: the female share of the sector workforce has been stuck at around 14% for over 20 years. And the proportion working as site operatives is a vanishingly small 2%." Initiatives to get women involved in the industry existed 20 years ago and were in some part responsible for the experience and training of our latest recruit, Jan Balbaligo. A professional site coordinator with years of experience running sites, we’ve asked Jan to reflect on her experience in the industry, discuss her thoughts on why more women aren’t involved and suggest how we can work to change this. “It’s not that women don’t want to do it, it’s more that it still isn’t given as a choice when making decisions at an early stage. Women need more information about how they can get involved in the industry as well as encouragement that there are roles and companies that are encouraging a more diverse workforce. There are so many roles that don’t require physical strength.” At Facit Homes, we strongly believe that construction roles should be filled by more women, but the reality is that this is still seen as unusual and it is something that we are hopeful will continue to change. In order to raise awareness, this the first in a two part series that focuses on the possibilities for women in construction. Facit Homes’ first female Site Coordinator Jan Balbaligo joined the team in December 2020 as Site Coordinator for our latest project in North London. Her combination of architectural expertise and sustainable, hands on building experience made her the perfect person to take on this unique role. Jan coordinates operations with the delivery team in the studio and the construction professionals on site. She will work from the site office for the duration of the project to organise all activities and report back to the studio in real time. Our experienced team of construction professionals in North London Problem solving is a joint operation, with Jan either working to solve the problem with the site team or detailing larger issues for the studio team to respond to, using videos, images and digital drawings sent via Google Chat. This digital process ensures decisions can be made quickly and accurately without lengthy site visits that delay progress. “My role allows operations to be more fluid and connected. As the point of contact for the studio, customer, sub-contractors and neighbours, it requires a lot of communication and organisation as well as a professional and positive attitude.” Bruce Bell, CEO & Founder of Facit Homes, spoke about the technical skill set required for the role. “The Site Coordinator must have technical and digital expertise that is not often associated with construction. Traditional site managers often fail to engage with the level of sophistication and technology required. Databases, digital time management, gantt charts and digital drawing management must be dealt with in a continuous real time process.” Head of Operations, Ryan McLoughlin, works closely with each Site Coordinator to supervise the programme of works for each project. Jumping between multiple projects on a daily basis, Ryan has a constant overview of what is happening on all sites. He believes that the lack of female representation on site takes a toll - and not just on women missing out on opportunities to join the industry. “A lack of diversity can lead to a culture of unhealthy macho one-upmanship with crude schoolyard banter. A more diverse team creates a need to negotiate around differing perspectives which fosters a more respectful and collaborative team culture. ” Jan spoke positively about her experiences on site throughout her career but also noted that a gender balance does seem to foster a positive culture change. “In my experience, having women on site changes the energy and morale. Men often talk more professionally in a mixed gender environment and I’ve found that they don’t swear as much or have as much attitude.” Passionate about the myriad of opportunities for women on site, Jan believes that representation is key to combating the lack of awareness around interesting and accessible construction roles. "I’ve never felt hindered by being a woman. It’s mostly felt like people are optimistic about giving you an opportunity." How can digitisation of construction help? Traditional construction is more heavily reliant on manual labour than innovative house building techniques. Even so, a recent Facit Homes project only included two female trade professionals, a plasterer and a renderer, which took the total percentage of women to just 4% - 5 of the 120 individuals who worked on site. Bruce hopes that the digitisation of construction will encourage women. Digital processes and technological advancements mean that roles have evolved and the majority of tasks can be undertaken by anyone with the experience and understanding (as opposed to physical strength). “Moving away from the manual labour aspect of construction creates a more professional environment which we think is more encouraging for women entering the workforce. Digitisation in construction has reduced this requirement for manual labour and we believe that it is a great benefit of better technology.” In encouraging more women into these roles, Jan also believes that public speaking is one way of reaching a wider audience. Inspired herself by architect, Lina Bo Bardi , who was often involved in overseeing the construction of her designs, as well as other positive female role models such as her previous employer, Sasha Bhavan, Jan believes that another way to make a difference is being on site every day. “The challenge is for women to be more ‘present’ in this industry so that we also become part of the architectural tradition. Better representation of women on construction websites and social media as well as via lectures and teaching all works to help to shift the all-male mindset and to encourage young women to be part of the industry that physically builds our society.” Journey to Facit Homes As Jan notes in her TED Talk , “Some people say to me, ‘Jan, how have you been able to do what you do, with no clear pathway to follow or no company to guide you?’ I did what I felt what I felt was right. I had an interest and I followed my heart.” Supported by the engineering company CostainGroup which, in the early 2000’s, created initiatives to get more women into construction, Jan began to explore the possibilities at school. As a result, she believes that there should be more of these schemes supported by a range of engineering, architecture and construction firms on a national level. “Women need more information about how they can get involved in the industry as well as encouragement that there are roles and companies that are encouraging a more diverse workforce.” Initially interested in art, technology and culture, Jan chose to study Architecture at university, which involved working as an Architectural Assistant. During her degree, she was often shocked at the wasteful nature of traditional building processes and unsustainable materials. Working within a community project that involved building furniture, Jan discovered a fascination for the practicalities of how things go together. Each summer, she took the opportunity to get involved in Bio Construction projects abroad which built structures from natural materials. Intent on pursuing the sustainable angle of architecture and construction, Jan travelled abroad to find different ways of building - visiting Brazil, Portugal, Panama, Germany, USA, Guatemala and Philippines in her quest. While she was living in Portugal, Jan volunteered for a festival and became part of teams which built stages and structures - “the perfect platforms to test interesting designs for open minded clients with budgets”. Once she had learnt to build from scratch , Jan was given opportunities to lead teams and designs. Before Part 3 of her Architecture degree, she was invited to Panama to design, build and project manage the construction of eight houses and a temple for a festival . Jan then worked as designer, builder and team leader for BambooDNA at intervals for five years, completing high performance structural installations in bamboo and fitting out the BambooDNA headquarters in California. A total of 15 years of invaluable experience in innovative and sustainable construction - travelling, learning, training and building - led her back to the UK and to Facit Homes. View her TED Talk ‘Reimagining construction’ for more info. Journey to Facit Homes As Jan notes in her TED Talk , “Some people say to me, ‘Jan, how have you been able to do what you do, with no clear pathway to follow or no company to guide you?’ I did what I felt what I felt was right. I had an interest and I followed my heart.” Supported by the engineering company CostainGroup which, in the early 2000’s, created initiatives to get more women into construction, Jan began to explore the possibilities at school. As a result, she believes that there should be more of these schemes supported by a range of engineering, architecture and construction firms on a national level. “Women need more information about how they can get involved in the industry as well as encouragement that there are roles and companies that are encouraging a more diverse workforce.” Initially interested in art, technology and culture, Jan chose to study Architecture at university, which involved working as an Architectural Assistant. During her degree, she was often shocked at the wasteful nature of traditional building processes and unsustainable materials. Working within a community project that involved building furniture, Jan discovered a fascination for the practicalities of how things go together. Each summer, she took the opportunity to get involved in Bio Construction projects abroad which built structures from natural materials. Intent on pursuing the sustainable angle of architecture and construction, Jan travelled abroad to find different ways of building - visiting Brazil, Portugal, Panama, Germany, USA, Guatemala and Philippines in her quest. While she was living in Portugal, Jan volunteered for a festival and became part of teams which built stages and structures - “the perfect platforms to test interesting designs for open minded clients with budgets”. Once she had learnt to build from scratch , Jan was given opportunities to lead teams and designs. Before Part 3 of her Architecture degree, she was invited to Panama to design, build and project manage the construction of eight houses and a temple for a festival . Jan then worked as designer, builder and team leader for BambooDNA at intervals for five years, completing high performance structural installations in bamboo and fitting out the BambooDNA headquarters in California. A total of 15 years of invaluable experience in innovative and sustainable construction - travelling, learning, training and building - led her back to the UK and to Facit Homes. View her TED Talk ‘Reimagining construction’ for more info. Q&A with Jan What is your advice for those starting out?   “A curiosity for how things work is key. Ask as many questions as possible and actively seek local projects that you can get involved in. Community projects are both rewarding and can be a vital stepping stone into skills you never knew you needed, such as the logical process of building furniture.” What do you love about construction? “For me, the best part of this job is seeing the development and progress everyday, as well as working with a group of talented carpenters and build team. I love to get to the site first thing in the morning so I can walk around quietly and engage with the project for the day ahead.” Does the team and site culture make a difference? “Absolutely. The team here is so supportive and I’m so happy to be working with them. I was thrown into something new and I’m learning every day with their help. Everyone is so patient, kind, supportive and funny - often reminding me and reiterating anything for my benefit. In particular, Andy and Dan, our Lead Carpenter, have been really good at explaining details. I am constantly learning from them and the others. Ryan is also a great support in the studio and during site visits. He is often checking on me and ensuring I know what is going on, stepping beyond the role of operations to make me feel supported.” Should women join the industry? “Yes! Absolutely. In construction, if you have the training, experience or qualification, you’ve proved your right to be there, regardless of your gender. Women are just as willing and capable to be part of the industry and should have the same diverse opportunities. The digitisation of construction means that it is less manual than ever before and innovative use of technology has opened up roles that previously haven’t existed. Progress towards flexible working hours and working from home is encouraging and suggests that we can balance this out.”

Electricity generation from renewables overtook fossil fuels for the first time in 2020 ,  and solar energy now accounts for almost 5% of the UK’s power. The rise in solar use is in some part down to falling costs - solar electricity was between 5 and 8x cheaper last year than it was in 2010 and, in some cases, solar and wind have become cheaper options than coal and gas. Feed-in tariffs have been dropped, meaning that individuals will no longer be reimbursed for surplus energy that they produce at home which is then fed into the National Grid. However, advancements in battery storage technology combined with airtight and super insulated buildings means that much less renewable energy generated will go to waste. Solar is traditionally an afterthought In residential architecture, solar panels were often considered a mechanical system and not integrated into the design and style of a home. Traditionally, they were added after the fact - in some cases, a long time after the home was built. Environmentally conscious individuals could select this renewable option without considering how it would fit aesthetically. As a result, many serve a purpose but disrupt a design. Fanis Anastasiadis, Lead Architect at Facit Homes, commented that “Years ago, when the climate change discussions were not so prominent, these systems were considered an advantage or even a luxury by many people. At this time, the cost was considered too much for the benefits they provided. So many houses were designed without the solar panels, but with provision for their use later on. When the time came to install them, they ended up looking like an ugly add-on that was not part of the original design.” Photo by Margot Polinder on Unsplash. The planning process also treated solar panels as an add-on rather than as an integrated part of the design. It was a tick box exercise and the bulky nature of many of the solar panel products in the market contributed to this functional approach. Designing with solar in mind If you’re building a new home, you are in the unique position of being able to integrate solar panels into your design from the start. They can be discreetly hidden on pitched or flat roofs, as with some of our past projects, or you can invest in a more complete approach, such as solar tiles. Solar tiles hidden in a pitch roof in an East London Facit Home. Thoughtful design can be used to optimise the location and the orientation of the panelling systems - further improving the efficiency and appearance of the system. If you're building with the fabric first approach and to Passivhaus principles, your new home will be south facing to make the most of solar gain. This is great news for integrating solar power into your design - and panels can still be included out of sight. Fanis commented that “For larger developments and flat roofed houses, the large open surfaces are not visible from ground level so it's always easier to put normal panels on the roofs and not worry about integrating with the design.” Bruce, CEO and Founder of Facit Homes, has always been interested in enhancing the environmental performance of a home and is excited by the battery storage technology emerging at a more affordable rate. He notes that “being able to store the renewable energy generated means that you won’t waste a single kW of energy, for example, by being out of the house on a sunny day. Something that many don’t realise is that solar power is only useful when you are residing in the house at the time it is generated. Battery storage is essential to bring renewable energy to the future.” New (and pretty) solar panel products Subsidies in the solar power industry encouraged research and development that has led to exciting advancements in the technology. Intelligent design and efficient manufacturing in the industry have brought the prices down and led to more affordable products. Manufacturers have caught on to market needs and started providing new aesthetically pleasing products that follow the design trends. Three main options to consider are  solar tiles,  solar glass and solar cladding. We believe that a new solar panelling system should be integrated in the design and not just a mechanical system add-on. These new products allow for exciting design options such as a solar roof that does not read as a solar panel system or glass curtain walls made from solar glass panels. The products: Tesla solar tiles  partnered with the Tesla Powerwall battery can provide 100% of the daily needs for a house of 4 bedrooms when a 7KW solar roof system is installed. These tiles are not placed on top of an existing roof; they are the roof . There are other similar products  that exist depending on the design and finishes requirements. Solar w indow  products can replace existing glass and harness power from the vertical surfaces of large glass structures. A  fabric first approach  ensures that the windows are south facing - and also that the highly insulated and airtight building fabric doesn't waste any energy generated. In terms of design, Fanis comments that, “you can split the elevation into a grid with certain parts purely designed to house solar panels.” Also known as a solar facade system , solar cladding can be used as an exterior finish (rather than timber, stone or brick) that harnesses the natural sunlight to create energy. Not just a utilitarian decision, it should be a surface finish decision and, as such, part of the initial moodboards and design discussions from the early stages. A Tesla solar roof. Source: Tech Crunch. Planning and solar panel systems Planning policies have adapted to reflect the evolving design of solar panels and their inclusion has become a valuable part of a planning application. As Fanis states, “Architects now have a greater incentive to integrate solar panel systems into their designs as there are more solid requirements in the new planning applications.” Fanis also discussed how these emerging solar panel systems (e.g. solar tiles) might affect planning decisions. “There is always difficulty introducing a new material like this in conservation areas so the planning officers will need to show some flexibility, but there are some solar panel systems that can fit in with existing traditional finishes if this becomes a problem for planning permission.” Q&A with Fanis Have you designed a scheme incorporating any of the latest solar panel systems? I have designed houses with integrated glass panelling systems, unfortunately the solar panel system was discarded as it had a slightly increased upfront cost which deterred the clients. Their decision was supported by the fact that planners would accept a similarly efficient system located somewhere else and not considering the design aspect, hence the tick-box exercise reference above. Is the aesthetic of solar systems increasingly important? Architects are more aware of the environmental and design possibilities of aesthetic solar systems but the demand hasn’t caught up with the potential. There is growing understanding on how these systems can be integrated to the fabric of the building, and further integrated in the emerging smart home systems. The energy storage options are now slimmer and more welcoming products that can be placed on protected elevations without causing visual disruption. Have solar systems always been hidden? Traditionally, yes. The older photovoltaic systems looked chunky and ugly and the solar thermal systems (with water tanks) were disproportionate to the elevations. The best way to deal with those was to have a large site area where those could be installed in the garden close by, disconnected from the main house. Or they ended up on the roof as black spots on a red tile roof. We need to treat the products as cladding material and not as an add on to an external surface of the building. Framing them with distinct boundaries means that their function is visible but they also form part of the elevation from the early stages of the design. For more information on other renewable technologies, visit our article here .

Generating your own renewable energy is a prospect that many consider too complicated or costly to put into action. However, the tide is turning with renewables as the long term benefits are starting to more easily outweigh the initial upfront costs. Modern new build homes, however energy efficient they may be, still require electricity and some form of heat. Whilst the decarbonisation of the electrical grid means that it is now the greenest energy network option available, it is still better to generate your own energy on site if you can. As we are attempting to move away from gas boilers and the use of fossil fuels ( whether this is successful in the next 10 years or not ) an entirely electric home is an exciting and necessary option to consider. Added to the environmental and cost benefits, electric only homes have more opportunity to be fully reliant on renewable energy, vastly lowering the carbon footprint of the homes we live in. Build a high performance home that requires less energy to run. First step: Reduce the amount of energy your home requires Building an airtight home with excellent thermal performance means that it requires much less energy to run in the first place. This should always be the starting point when building a new home, and the first port of call for an existing home should be to upgrade the building’s fabric e.g. roof insulation, better glazing etc. so that you retain more heat than before. If you are interested in creating an even more sustainable home, integrating renewable energy technologies can lower its environmental impact, and running costs, even further. Next: Consider renewable energy sources Renewable energy comes from a sustainable source that doesn’t run out. The main renewable energy sources that can be used for individual homes are the sun, the wind and running water. These translate into solar energy, wind energy and hydro energy, while the lesser known (and used) biomass energy can also be used to create heat for homes. What are the main options for generating renewable electricity? 1. Photovoltaic panels Better known as solar panels, these are the most established renewable energy technology in the homebuilding industry. They capture energy directly from the sun and turn it into electricity. The falling costs of this technology means they can now be installed from about £6,000 to £10,000. Traditionally placed onto south facing, pitched roofs, emerging technologies have shown they can be integrated seamlessly into the design of a home, e.g. solar tiles from Tesla . Alternatively they can be carefully hidden from view on flat roof properties, or even placed within the surrounding landscape. Photovoltaic panels installed on the roof of our East London project. 2. Hydroelectric systems Small-scale hydroelectric systems can be used to power a home. Hydroelectric technology harnesses the power of water in motion. It is not a viable option for many people because it is dependent on the access to a source of running water, as well as how fast it flows and how much volume of water passes through. A typical 5kW system to power one home will cost around £25,000 . The good news is that once the system is installed it requires very little upkeep. 3. Micro-wind turbine systems The UK is already the world leader in offshore wind energy generation, but individual domestic turbines are also readily available. Placing these systems in an exposed position, wind power can produce more than enough energy   to power the lights and electrical appliances in a home. Requiring a very specific site, and subject to planning permission, standalone turbines cost between £9,900 and £19,000 for a 2.5kW system, while a 6kW version is likely to be between £21,000 and £30,000. Some of the larger wind turbines feature artistic and architectural designs that offer an aesthetic as well as functional benefit. What are the main options for generating renewable heat? 1. Air source heat pumps Absorbing heat from the outside air to provide heat and hot water for a home, these pumps continue to extract heat from the air even when temperatures are as low as -15 degrees celsius. Heat from the air is absorbed   at a low temperature into a fluid, which passes through a compressor, increasing the temperature. This temperature is then transferred to the heating and hot water circuits of the house.   Whilst it uses electricity to compress that energy, you get a good return. An air source heat pump before installation at our Hertfordshire project. 2. Ground source heat pumps Harnessing solar energy from below the earth’s surface, h eat from the sun that has been store up in the ground is absorbed at low temperatures into a fluid inside a loop of pipe buried underground, either in trenches or a vertical borehole. As with air source, the fluid then passes through a compressor that raises it to a higher temperature, which is used to heat water for the house. Despite the greater upfront cost, this type of pump is more efficient than an air source heat pump when it comes to heating your home, so is often a better option if you have the space outside. 3. Solar thermal systems Using the heat from the sun to heat the hot water for a home, these systems are robust, simple and effective with a long life and relatively cheap installation costs. They qualify for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and there are two main types of system: flat plate and evacuated tube. Both systems are placed on the roof of a home (preferably a south facing roof) and could be mistaken for solar panels. Photovoltaic thermal (PVT) systems combine the two solar systems to offer energy generation for hot water and electricity. 4. Biomass heating Not always strictly considered a renewable energy source   due to not having an infinite supply, biomass heating depends on the combustion of grown products, such as wood pellets, logs and chips. They do also contribute to carbon dioxide emissions. However, wood can be considered a renewable resource p rovided it comes from sustainably managed forests. Biomass boilers are larger than a normal boiler and so a site would need the space to house them, along with storage for the fuel (chips etc.). Costs are around £5,000-£12,000 depending on whether you choose a log batch boiler or pellet boiler. Solar panels are just visible on the right hand side of this latest Facit Home in Stroud. Is there a catch? One main drawback of electricity generation is that you have to use the energy as you are producing it or it will be fed into the national grid with precious little payback. Therefore when, and how much, you use it has always been a major factor to consider. But the market has responded, as it always does, with home batteries. At this stage it is a relatively infant technology but it allows you to store the electricity you generate throughout the day and use it on demand. Tesla Powerwall is one of the available options for battery storage .  Expect to see more players enter the market and for this solution to mature very quickly. These technologies all have an upfront cost, which will take time to pay itself back to you via lower energy bills. When you create a home that is highly energy efficient and uses less energy than a conventional home, it’s worth considering that this payback will take even longer but the environmental benefit could be seen as justification in itself. The tech is also continuing to improve and costs will continue to fall. There are still some government backed subsidies for those using them, such as Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) , and the huge environmental benefits could be seen to justify the cost. If you were to use your own electricity generation (e.g. solar energy) to power a heat pump (e.g. ground source heat pump), the dream of a fully off grid home is well within reach. Has Facit Homes installed any of this renewable energy technology? Many of our customers have been interested in generating their own energy. We have installed many solar panels, as well as both ground and air source heat pumps which work well with our underfloor heating system. No wind turbines quite yet though… We discuss all of these options with our customers at the outset of a project, to make sure that we are factoring the cost of any requirements to the overall project budget and any design implications that may need to be considered.

Authorship is the result of being an individual creator. Authors, athletes, fashion designers, singers, film directors, entrepreneurs and other creatives are often credited with total authorship of their success. What do we mean by 'authorship'? Oxford Languages defines ‘authorship’ as “the state or fact of being the writer of a book, article, or document, or the creator of a work of art.” A term that can be used to describe an individual in any discipline, this definition shows that we often identify just one ‘author’ or creator and rarely acknowledge the level of collaboration that enables their success. For athletes like Serena Williams, their success can be partly attributed to the level of collaboration with trainers and nutritionists, as well as their talent and hard work. For singers like David Bowie, it is collaboration with other musicians, producers and writers. For authors like J K Rowling, it is the collaboration with a publisher and editor, among others. For presenters like David Attenborough, it is collaboration with scientists, rappers and film crews. For editors like Anna Wintour, it might be writers, fashion designers and other industry professionals. Each example above is an intelligent, talented and hardworking individual, but their ability to work with others to create something unique is a huge reason for their success. Innovative cross-discipline collaboration A notable design industry example is husband and wife team Charles & Ray Eames . Furniture designers who chose to work with the latest manufacturing techniques, they combined their designs with technical furniture production companies, working together to create products using innovative techniques and materials such as steam bent plywood and glass reinforced plastics. An Eames chair. Photo by Analia Baggiano on Unsplash Their chairs became famous for their unique aesthetic but they were also innovative for combining technology, manufacturing and design. Collaborating with other industries and forming a new approach allowed Charles & Ray Eames to create something unique. Their steam bent plywood chairs originated from their creation of leg splints  for World War II. They perfected a plywood-molding technique with access to military manufacturing facilities so that they could create lightweight, inexpensive leg splints for injured soldiers. Creating a collaborative environment Closer to home is the architectural practice, Foster & Partners . Sir Norman Foster created an environment that facilitates the creative spark and consistently enables architectural and design brilliance, even when he doesn’t directly deal with each project that the practice takes on. After working closely with Foster and observing this first hand, our founder Bruce Bell was conscious about creating a similar environment at Facit Homes. One where design guidelines are set but creative flair and architectural, design and production excellence can emerge. A Facit Homes design Foster set out design specifications, parameters and a broadly technological approach in order to create a rigorous process that ensured consistent quality of architectural design for any Foster & Partners project. It ensures that the thousands of projects designed by this practice not only have his name and creative stamp but are consistently good buildings. Regularly celebrated in the press, architectural projects are often attributed to one person - the architect. With practices like Foster & Partners, the collaborative ethos of each project makes it almost impossible to pin the credit on one person. The genius here lies in creating a streamlined team effort that is consistently powerful and not tied to an individual’s work. It meant that the architectural practice Foster & Partners could expand in its work and take on ambitious projects without being entirely reliant on Sir Norman Foster himself. Should the individuals involved receive credit? In 2000, an architect at Fosters & Partners designed the world-famous 30 St. Mary Axe in London, more commonly known as The Gherkin. At the time, a Senior Partner at Fosters, Ken Shuttleworth, left to set up his own practice and was credited in the media  as the author. On such a prominent project, the media grasped at a single name to attribute the design to. Foster and his architectural practice were understandably not pleased.  Shuttleworth worked on the project within the creative environment and according to the design constraints of Foster & Partners, so how could he be solely credited? The Gherkin. Photo by Clever Visuals on Unsplash The opportunity to design this building came from working at the practice. The design was a result of the process that Foster created. It was designed according to specifications, parameters and a technological approach that the practice implemented to ensure a consistent quality of architectural work. The press wrote about an individual’s authorship, rather than attributing it exclusively to the practice. Writing to entice their readership, this approach perhaps reflects our preference as a society to identify individuals as creative and successful rather than a framework, environment or company. Creative constraints Fashion houses, architectural practices and other creative environments produce work regularly, successfully and collaboratively. These often have a set of constraints like the ones imposed by Sir Norman Foster in order to create consistently. A set of constraints is essential to creativity. The freedom to create anything presents unlimited options and can descend into chaos. Guidelines and frameworks, even if they’re inherently flexible, allow an individual to delve deeper into their process and produce something extraordinary. Oliafur Eliasson  created a studio with creative constraints around natural phenomena and their associated geometric patterns. Eliasson, working closely with his team, creates artwork that is architectural and geometric in often natural installations. Consistent constraints create a thread that ties his work together, something we see in an architectural practice’s known style - or a brand of any type’s familiar output. Working with others is the key to success We feel that the traditional perception that there is one creative author or creative pair (e.g. Sir Norman Foster, Charles & Ray Eames) is outdated. The reality is that an individual is successful because they were responsible for a creative, collaborative environment or selectively worked with other talented individuals who provided their own invaluable contribution. Their personal talent is not in question, but without collaboration and the ability to draw on others’ expertise it may never see its full potential realised.

The announcement that we should all be working from home again has come as no real surprise. For those of us that had returned to the office, it’s another chapter in the ups and downs of C-19 as we head back to well worn home working spots. After eating, exercising, working, virtually socialising and sleeping in our homes for the majority of 2020, and with this not set to change for a while, many of us have realised that we need to improve our home working environment. With a series of fluctuating restrictions over the next six months, it’s clear that the future of the working environment has been irrevocably changed and our homes need to adapt. Long term solutions are needed. If you’re not looking to move, you may be thinking about how to restructure your space to better suit your work needs. If you’ve got the budget and ambition then designing and building a new home gives you total freedom to do this. Whether you’re remodeling your existing space or considering creating a completely new home that will meet your future needs, we’ve got some advice on what to consider. Previously a requirement for just a few of our projects, recent enquiries have shown that any new home from now on is likely to involve a working space of some kind. Why design a work space in your home? The great freedom of working from home is the ability to create an environment that suits your work method - as opposed to sharing a uniform space with hundreds of others. The way you design a space can impact how you use it, just as the way you use a space can impact how you (re)design it. A great example of architecture designed to facilitate a home working lifestyle choice is the home and studio built by Sarah Wigglesworth Architects almost 20 years ago. A large pivot door in the centre of the home separates the living spaces on one side from the design studio on the other. Investigate this innovative project here . Aesthetics such as a garden view or excellent lighting are often a first thought, but don’t forget the spatial and seasonal considerations when designing your 'WFH' space. Converting the shed in your garden might seem like an excellent solution in summer but if it's not able to retain heat in winter then you’ll find yourself freezing over your keyboard - or back working at the kitchen table. Huge north-facing windows provide perfect cool, consistent light for this artist's studio work space What to think about when designing a work space The design choices you make should reflect how you believe you work best. You have the power to create the perfect work-life balance. Thinking truthfully about what you need to be productive at work is important. Whether you spend your day at a desk in isolation or dip in and out of work, your space can be designed to perfectly accommodate personal habits. Clearly separating the living spaces in your home from work spaces is helpful for some. It means that you don’t have to look at the pile of washing up when you’re planning an important presentation. However, an open layout office space has plenty of benefits, such as being able to keep an eye on a children's area while you work. If you need to optimise a limited space, ‘ 10 ways to work from home ’ has some great space saving home working ideas, such as a work space that doubles up as a dressing table. The kitchen table is not a solution It’s probably the busiest spot in your home. If you enjoy it as a working environment, you might have had to rethink the furniture. There’s a reason why ergonomic chairs are usually kept in a separate room... Distraction free work zone? We're not so sure... This is more suited to a bit of web browsing for most. The opportunity to tailor a space around what you need to work is invaluable. Understanding how architecture and interiors affect your well-being is a good place to start. The Modern House’s guide to looking after your well-being  at home talks about how factors like light, dimension and sound can impact your work ethic. Your office space could be a dedicated, private room - or a small space separated within a larger open plan area. The latter would be interconnected with the rest of the space's functions but simultaneously provide some privacy. Keeping out of the way with the potential for full isolation, a partially open plan approach like this could utilise features such as large glazed doors or slightly different floor levels to ensure visibility of other areas. After lockdown in March and working from home ever since, much has been said about the decline in full open plan layouts as people start to see the value in divided spaces again. What to think about when designing your home office How do you work and what do you need to stay focused? This is something we thoroughly investigate with all of our customers before design work begins. Our architects at Facit Homes can help you create the lifestyle you want by asking the right questions about how you intend to live in your home. We think these are the 5 most important aspects involved in designing a home office for our projects. Being surrounded by nature brings calm to a space, as does well considered storage 5 tips for designing a home office 1. Space The way that a space is configured determines the feel and function of a home. Open plan layouts are more suitable for living areas than a focused working environment, but this depends on the individual. Private works paces can be integrated into the design of the home without losing the sense of spatial flow. For example, one of our projects has ground floor living and bedrooms, with a printmaking studio and office upstairs. The spaces are divided like this so that our customers can identify clearly when they are at 'home' and when they are at ‘work’. 2. Light One of our key design principles . We believe it has a fundamental effect on the perception of architecture and interiors - among other things. Working next to a window and open spaces have been linked to higher creativity levels , and it doesn’t feel a step too far to assume that this is in part due to natural light. The placement of each Velfac window is carefully considered to bring as much light into the home. The size of windows and sliding doors ensure that a Facit Home is flooded with as much natural light as possible, while creating a connection with the outside world. 3. Internet Remote working efficiency is often dependent on a strong internet connection. Consider the materials used to make your home. The materials in a Facit Home, such as plywood in our Facit Chassis™, allow an even WiFi transmission throughout the house. Concrete and masonry walls have been accused of interfering with  WiFi connections, so may not be the best choice. This will bring an added environmental benefit too, as timber is far more ecologically friendly than concrete. Sometimes only a high speed physical connection will do, if so look at using CAT 6 data cables (or CAT 7 if you are planning to run an intergalactic empire from your home...) 4. Power Plug sockets and their placement are essential. Discussing the arrangement of your furnishings during design will help us to understand how you plan to use the room and ensure that the electrical cables in the initial design of the Facit Chassis™ can create clean lines across the office space. We work with you to decide the final number and location of electrical sockets in the technical design phase, ensuring they serve the space. 5. Furniture and Decoration The furnishings you choose have a huge impact. Again, your choice of furniture is part of early discussions in a Facit Homes project, where we discover not only how the space is intended to be used but what might be in it - from built in joinery to a treasured antique desk. We’d recommend ergonomic chairs and tables to alleviate any potential discomfort. You may even want to consider a more dynamic set up, such as a standing desk . Improving your comfort and creating an engaging work position will help with focus. There is a really lovely article by Mad About The House that explains how to inspire creativity with interior decorating . It talks about the impact and influence that architecture, views, art, walls, curves, noise, lighting and other features have on home working. Architectural Review  suggests that “technological advance and economic changes in the 1990s paved the way” for home working. If we’ve been waiting for the home working revolution since the 90s, most of us were shockingly unprepared. For more home working content, The Flexible Working Report  is a perfect coffee break article discussing the latest report on home working purchases from John Lewis. For more on our design principles, check out this page .

Finding an architect to design your dream home is often the easy part. Finding a way to build your ambitious design, and to do so on budget, is not always as simple. We have the solution. Facit Homes’ mission is to create great homes for our customers. These have mainly been homes that we designed ourselves, but in recent years it has started to include homes that have been designed by other architects - some of which were at risk of never being brought to life. Projects can stall after design Hiring an architect is exciting, creative and a well-defined path, and getting planning permission for your future home is a cause for great celebration. However, finding a way to build their design can be a significant challenge and it’s easy to lose faith in the process at this point. It's why many fantastic architectural designs sadly don’t get built. We've seen two main reasons that people get in touch with us to discuss their project at this point. 1. Escalating costs. This customer discovers some way into the journey that their new home will cost a lot more than anticipated. How did this happen? In the early design stages they might have outlined what they wanted to spend, but, for most, the true cost of construction is unknown until they are much further down the line. In the excitement of being able to have input on the design of their own home, this customer has added in everything they ever wanted. It’s understandably easy to get carried away with a breathtaking concept design which perhaps does not reflect the budget. Their architect may have suggested (but not insisted on) commissioning a cost plan from a quantity surveyor, but this never happened for whatever reason. The design may also have issues that have not yet been resolved in the 2D drawings. Architects don’t traditionally consider a lot of the details before planning is granted, for example the exact window specification or a structural scheme, but such things can have profound effects on cost. Post-planning, the technical design information is needed for a contractor to understand the materials, products, quantities and complexity in the project so they can provide an informed estimate on cost. Only once technical drawings have been paid for and detailed prices received back from contractors is the full extent of the disparity between the original budget and the actual build cost finally identified. Faced with this issue, the customer has a decision: find a more cost effective solution or abandon the project. Enter Facit Homes. 2. Trouble finding a capable contractor. Experienced contractors that can confidently deliver a complex, modern architectural project are few and far between. After getting planning permission for an architecturally impressive home, this customer is searching for a way to feasibly deliver the design. The complexity of their project means that it will take too long for a traditional small building firm, who are unlikely to have done something similar before. Larger main contractors find the project too small, as they generally look for bigger and more lucrative contracts. The customer finds that they either need to take a risk with the builders, which could pay off, or look for an alternative solution that will give them more confidence in their project. Certainty of cost and quality are important, and an end-to-end professional service is desirable, which leads them to look at prefab options. But they discover that working with a prefab company would most likely involve a major redesign to suit a fairly standardised product, so they’re looking for a company that offers a more flexible approach and can solve their construction problem. This is where we come in. The alternative to a builder or contractor Facit Homes uses digital manufacturing technology to create individually designed, high performance homes. Our progressive approach allows us to respond to the requirements of other architect’s designs, and deliver the project with a guaranteed level of quality, sustainability and value. This modern method means we can use our design expertise to resolve complex issues, confident in the knowledge that we can then accurately build the home as designed. Under the skin of each Facit Home is our advanced structural system, the Facit Chassis™. Digitally designed and manufactured to seamlessly receive other components, it provides a range of advantages over traditional building methods. We customise the Facit Chassis™️ to each bespoke design. It is an inherently flexible system that gives complete freedom of form. Often we can simply deliver another architect’s scheme as designed, with a minimum of alterations. For customers that come to us with significant cost issues, we may take a slight step back in the design process and rationalise parts of the scheme to bring it into line with their budget. This will require a planning amendment, but will not jeopardize the permission. The start of every such Facit Homes project is about working to find the perfect balance between the original design and the final costs. Our experienced architects and designers ensure the original design intent is nurtured into a feasible construction, and is still the home the customers always dreamed of living in. Whatever their situation, those coming to us with an existing design still get all of the benefits associated with a low energy Facit Home: Super-insulated, airtight building envelope Triple glazed windows Underfloor heating MVHR system We provide either a turnkey or assisted self finish build and take care of every part of a project, from planning conditions to utilities connections. Cost certainty We’ve developed a set of robust, digital estimating tools which enable us to accurately predict what a home will cost to build using just outline information about the site and the planning drawings. We have a wealth of historical data from previous projects that allows us to make accurate estimates for new projects. In order to firm up these costs, the next step is to commission us to create a full 3D computer model of the home, from which we can harvest all the relevant information such as exact material quantities. From the size of every window to the precise amount of cladding on the walls. A detailed cost plan at the start of a project gives our customers confidence and certainty that their build will stay on budget. And with a fixed price building contract, they don’t have to worry about wildly escalating construction costs once we are on site. Quicker delivery Many appreciate great design. But what about great construction? At Facit Homes, as soon as we have agreed the project cost, we start the technical design, construction mobilisation and statutory approvals in parallel so that we can start on site around 3 months after being appointed. Compared to the traditional tender process, this means that we can save our customers anything between 4-7 months on their project timeline. The construction programme can be anything from 6 months faster than traditional methods - we’ve been known to shave a whole year off a project in total. Building your architect-designed home: Step-by-step The Facit Home is the perfect turnkey product for creating architectural designs. Here’s how it works. You supply us with your project design and planning information Our in-house architects review the existing design and provide a cost estimate, and/or highlight what might need to change for the home to be built on your budget The design is updated and modelled in our 3D BIM software, a full cost plan is completed and if required planning amendments submitted This BIM model is used to digitally manufacture the components of the home Construction starts and is completed on time and on budget Our customers Patrick and Scott appointed the architecture practice, Kirkland Fraser Moor,  to design their dream home. Moving into the next phase of their project with an exciting design and planning permission granted, they needed to find a way to build it within their budget. But as designed, it was estimated to be more than they had hoped to spend. The concept design by KFM was slightly amended prior to the initial planning application. It had the potential to be a fantastic architect-designed home. Approaching Facit Homes with the hope of bringing their home to life, Patrick and Scott decided to work with us to rationalise the design to find a more realistic build cost. The original design specified a timber roof - beautiful but expensive and potentially high maintenance. Whilst keeping the pitched design, we encouraged them to rethink this material to reduce the risk. We detailed a standing seam metal roof system that we could install with our carpenters, as opposed to needing an expensive specialist metal roofing contractor. Floor to ceiling glazing was shown on more than half of the ground floor walls. It is often bespoke, not very thermally efficient and has long lead times. Large expanses of frameless glazing require a full steel frame, which is also expensive. We found another way. We used large, triple glazed windows with very slim frames, reducing the total amount of glazing and structural steel, but keeping the original design intent of bringing the outside in. In between these large windows we proposed weathered COR-TEN steel cladding to contrast the timber cladding above. The final design. In order to further reduce costs, we removed the master bedroom balcony, which Patrick and Scott felt they would rarely use, and railings from the flat roof, which again they were unlikely to often use as a terrace with such a lovely garden below. At some point in the future, they have the option to add some of these ‘nice-to-haves’ to their home, but it wasn’t deemed essential at this stage. The stunning structural steel columns  holding the projecting first floor form in the original design were a key architectural feature that we knew we had to preserve. We developed the design and digitally manufactured them from COR-TEN steel to great effect. The COR-TEN steel structural tree columns. All design decisions were driven by the value they brought to the project - if they were integral to the design or use of the home, then they were kept, but if not they were evaluated on their own merit. Our adaptations and additions, such as the unique feature staircase  (designed and digitally manufactured by us) brought the project to life by rationalising the design for construction. We made a simple minor planning amendment, showing the changes to elevations and materials and stating that we had not changed the fundamentals of form, volume or building height. This was a simple box ticking exercise with no obvious risk of getting caught in complex planning issues. As planning consent existed for the previous design, we felt confident that we could carry on with technical design and modelling work in the background, even though we were also waiting for formal approval, which came within 8 weeks. From then on it was full steam ahead with the build. For more information about this project, visit the case study . Get a construction cost appraisal for your project today Bringing ambitious designs to life is part of our vision: to build a better future - one home at a time. Have you had your dream home designed by an architect? If you’re looking for a better way to build it, get in touch. We can give you an estimated construction cost for your design. Email info@facit-homes.com  with your project plans or call 020 3034 0720 to speak to Rhys in the studio.

We were delighted to win 'Best Turn Key Home' at this years Build It Awards for our project 'The Stables'. The Stables  is a single storey home on a beautiful rural site in Kent, which replaced a pair of old stables on our customers' land. You can read more about it here - https://www.facit-homes.com/the-stables The best thing about the project is how happy our customers are living in their beautiful Facit Home, but it is always nice for the quality of our work to be recognised by others in the industry.

Since its inception, Facit Homes has been focused on developing a better, smarter way to deliver new homes. One of the keystones of this is our on-site manufacturing process. By turning the site itself into a factory we get the precision and quality of digital manufacturing without the overheads or standardisation that come with a purpose built, off site facility. It also means that we can efficiently deliver flat, raw material to site (in our case stacked sheets of plywood) which is then processed into the Facit Chassis, meaning a huge reduction in the number of deliveries required, lowering the embodied energy of our builds. Check out this video of our process to understand more about the benefits of manufacturing a Facit Home on site with our Mobile Production Facility (MPF). Contact us Interested in learning more about how our method would deliver value for your project? Get in touch with the studio today on 020 3034 0720 or info@facit-homes.com .

A backlands plot is land at the back or side of an existing property. It is often part of a large garden and not visible from the roads surrounding it, but importantly is big enough to accommodate a new home. Once known as 'garden grabbing' and heavily opposed by local authorities, in recent years this sort of infill development has become viewed as a more acceptable way to help meet housing needs by intensifying the density of houses in built up areas. Such plots can offer an attractive opportunity for a self builder to create a new home on land they already own. There are a few considerations and possible barriers to obtaining planning permission on a backlands plot, but a well rounded application that provides answers to the following questions has a higher chance of success. Challenges of a backlands project Access and neighbours are the main challenges for a backlands application, but not the only constraints to consider. Other considerations are around space, privacy and design. In order to be planning friendly, your backlands plot needs to have direct access to the road, either by a boundary fence or through access via alleyway or access road . If you are the owner of the access then it will simplify matters in the planning application. Neighbours are often against new developments like this, especially in a previously unoccupied space. However, objections aren’t always an obstruction if you can prove that all the planning policies have been adhered to and the development won’t considerably affect views or rights to light. Space is fairly self-explanatory; the proposed home must have enough space around it in the plot to provide an area that doesn’t feel cramped or change the pattern of surrounding homes. Privacy is a part of this consideration around the plot location and distance to neighbouring properties. Design is the key to unlocking backlands plots and a sensitive scheme will help you to avoid many of the challenges above. However with all the constraints mentioned, getting a design that works for both you and the planners is itself something of a challenge. Form and materials may be somewhat determined by the location, whether that is having to stick to a single storey house in order to avoid disrupting view or using a vernacular material to be in keeping with the area. Site map for our North London application. Tips Local regulations and policies are unique to each planning authority so hiring an architect with specific experience of backlands planning applications as well as using a planning consultant is recommended. Their joint expertise will ensure that you are set up for success. You don’t necessarily need a designer that has experience in the local area, just an understanding of backlands plots and their constraints. Advice for backlands plots: Hire an experienced designer. As neighbours can be an obstacle, keep them in the loop from the start so you know what to expect and can avoid any contests, if possible. These can drag out your planning process. Complete a planning pre-application to get advice and insights on the main challenges. Ensure the build is a sustainable, future-proof home. Environmental benefits do still hold weight. Prove that the development will improve the use of the land. Planning in North London In our latest backlands planning application and approval , the new dwelling was proposed to replace an unused tennis court on a site within a Conservation Area. As backlands plot applications can be contentious, we completed a pre-application process to gather insights about what might cause issues for the local authority. A previous concept design for the scheme. Planning pre-application advice is a key part of the process for a project where there has not been a home in the spot before or you want to establish some fundamental principles for the development of the site before developing your design too far. This stage can be slow but provides essential feedback from the local planning authority on the viability of the project and the likelihood of their support for your scheme. Learn more about pre-apps here , we do talk about this project in particular in that article. Luckily for us, this site already had access from the road, with a gated entrance and wide pathway down the side of the existing home that was suitable for vehicles. The trees on and surrounding the plot conceal the majority of this new home from neighbouring properties, so it does not impact on any views for the neighbours nor affect their right to light. Thinking about developing a backlands plot? Call the studio on 020 3034 0720 or email info@facit-homes.com to discover how we can help you get planning permission for your project.

Our first Scottish planning approval continues our 100% application success rate. An unusual project for us in its distance from our studio, discover King's Cairn. Concept design for the rear elevation Introducing King's Cairn Discovering us while on the hunt for a turnkey service that could take care of their project while they continued to live and work in the south of England during the build, our customers found Facit Homes online and got in touch to ask whether we would take on a project so far from our London base. With all the lessons learned over the past decade building homes at ever increasing distances, and in particular during the Covid pandemic which pushed remote working practices to a new level, we felt confident that the location would not be prohibitive to us working on the scheme. The plot is on a beautiful custom build site backing onto a golf course, a stone’s throw from the spectacular North Berwick coast. It is the perfect location  for our customers, who are originally from Scotland and have family and friends in the area. 3D render of the front elevation The design Upon getting in touch to discuss the project, our customers sent us reference imagery that showed the type of home they were interested in designing but were not clear in their minds as to exactly what it should be. With no specific design narrative to the development as a whole, as well as a very open minded customer who trusted in our process, we were free to really explore the design opportunities of the project. Our initial concept design was nothing like they had imagined their home would be, but instead completely exceeded their expectations. Their imagery had shown us that large windows, a contemporary feel and contrasting shapes and cladding throughout the scheme would appeal. They liked both flat and pitched roof homes, so we combined them to create a striking design with two gable end forms tied together by a central double height dining space with galleried landing and flat roof above. The double height dining area connects to the kitchen and living spaces Structural testing required In order to comply with Building Regulations in Scotland, which differ from those in England and Wales, we had to undertake some additional structural testing that we haven’t completed before. It’s called racking and it involves applying lateral pressure to our components to see how strong they are. English Building Regulations don’t require the same level of empirical data about the structure, instead the process involves a structural engineer inspecting and taking responsibility for it. So, structural testing of the Facit Chassis™ began. Pedro, our Head of Product Development, visited Lucideon’s  testing facility to work through the process and the strength of the components outperformed even our expectations. A racking test is complete when a component or section breaks. In order to certify how much lateral pressure the components could cope with before failing/breaking, you have to get them to that breaking point and measure the pressure it took to force that failure. However, this was not as easy as it sounds! The components had such strength that they broke the testing equipment on multiple occasions and the testing team had to reinforce the rigging twice to get the result. Even so, we only managed to get an accurate reading for our digitally manufactured internal walls. These could take 36 Kilonewtons, which is “just silly” compared to the typical timber frame reading of 15-20KNs. The external wall components never properly broke, even when loaded with over 65KNs! To quote the testers “You can’t fail better than this.” As you can imagine, once installed as part of the complete Facit Chassis™ these components are even stronger than as an individual. Once they have a load bearing from the top, this reading would be even higher! Next steps As the local planning authority has approved our plans for this wonderful family home in King's Cairn, the next step is to build it! Remotely managed from our studio in London, we will still be delivering our MPF (mobile production facility) to site in order to digitally manufacture the home in position. Our on-site manufacturing process will result in a much reduced carbon footprint. Of course, the distance means that the delivery will have more carbon emissions than our closer projects, but it also proves how beneficial our system is. As we deliver flat stacks of plywood to site alongside our machine, we have 90% fewer overall deliveries for the structure in comparison to prefab companies that will have to organise more deliveries from wherever their factory is to the site. Keep your eyes peeled for our portable factory heading up to Scotland! All strapped up and ready to go!

Many enquiries in the past few years have come from individuals with planning permission for a contemporary home. While researching their construction options and weighing up the costs and benefits, they discover Facit Homes and wonder whether we could be the solution. The main question asked is whether we can build the design created by their architect with our advanced structural system, the Facit Chassis™. The answer is yes! We keep the overall intent of a design, but there is a little tinkering that happens to ensure that we can deliver a high performance home within that concept. Minor design amendments to a planning permission When design changes are made to a project with planning permission, one of three types of planning approval is required. A non material amendment , a minor material amendment  or a full application . Applications for non material or minor design amendments allow us to build homes that have been designed by other architects without submitting a new application. However, every project is unique and one recent Facit Home didn't follow this expected route. It required an entirely new application for a simple update. We'll explain why. An unusual example With planning permission for a single storey eco home to replace the stables on the plot of land attached to their home, our latest customers were open to a new way of building and looking for a construction route that carried more certainty and cost transparency. Once we discovered that we were a good fit for their project, we optimised their design for construction by making a few simple changes to the exterior. These changes allowed for the deeper roof of our super-insulated Facit Chassis™ and improved the energy efficiency of the build. However, unusually for a relatively small design change, we had to submit a second full planning application. Elevations in the previous application (above) and in our application (below). The new application For small design changes like our roof amendment, we expect to complete a minor material amendment application and submit new drawings to update the existing planning permission. However, in this case, the plans were not listed as a condition of the previous approval and so rather than being able to submit an amendment to those plans, we had to submit a new application. Thankfully, this carried no additional planning fees for our customer because it was a resubmission for the same plot and scheme within 12 months of the application. Planning success Invaluable skills, experience and planning expertise in the studio has allowed us to complete successful applications like this for over 10 years. The previous planning application submitted by local architects was instrumental to our success because the conditions of approval were clearly outlined. Knowing these meant that we could include specific information that would meet those terms and remove the need for those conditions in the second approval. Our Director, Rhys, worked closely with our in-house architects, who provided the new design information, and put together the planning application. Our planning consultant is an expert in the technicalities of such things and provided us with an anticipated view of the council. One condition of the previous permission was related to the floor level. The permission detailed that the floor level had to be submitted for approval before work above ground could commence. We provided the level in our second application, ensuring that our permission would have no pre commencement conditions that could delay us from starting the build. Updates to the existing design The contemporary design for the 165m2 home had a flat roof, large windows and eco aspirations so it was the perfect starting point for a Facit Home. Adapting the design to facilitate our energy efficient roof structure, we increased the height of the roof by 350mm, which subsequently increased the overall volume. The development of a replacement dwelling on green belt land always has a limit for the percentage of volume increase, which depends on the local planning authority, but is often up to 25-30%. Here, the local authority allowed a 30% volume increase. The site itself also carried specific restrictions on the height of the new dwelling and our increase could have been contentious but, as the additional volume was only included to accommodate our super efficient Facit Chassis™ roof and did not add to the habitable space, it felt reasonable and we were confident of approval, which was later granted. Have you got a design or a plan for a new home? Our construction approach allows us to deliver designs created by others. We are experts at building beautiful, contemporary and energy efficient schemes within challenging planning conditions - whether with a minor design amendment or full planning application. If you’re looking for fixed prices, a turnkey solution or a sustainable method of construction then get in touch today. Call Rhys in the studio on 020 3034 0720 or email us at info@facit-homes.com .