ZEDpods-'pop-up villages'
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36 / projects / prefab housing Building ZedPod CHASING RAINBOWS CAN THE GOVERNMENT'S REGENERATION AMBITIONS BECOME REALITY? Architect: ZEDfactory Partner: n/a Concept: Pods built over car parks System: Steel/Timber Hybrid Cost: £987/m2 - £1,282/m2 Programme: Site assembly 10 pods per week Sale/rent: Both On site: 1 site at planning stage Imagine a series of battery and solar power houses constructed within timber pods and "floating" above a car park. This is essentially the core concept behind ZedPod, the radical new low-cost housing solution by ZEDfactory. Fourteen years ago ZEDfactory was the pioneer behind BedZED, the UK's first carbon-neutral eco-community. This same revolutionary zeal has now been brought to the affordable housing sector, with founder Bill Dunster aiming to "embarrass the market" by showing that high-quality affordable housing can be delivered simply, cheaply and with energy efficiency as paramount. ZedPods are highly insulated timber frame pods built on a steel truss support and constructed over parking spaces, allowing cars to still be parked underneath. Single pods are built over two spaces, doubles over four. The roof is fitted with solar panels which provide 90% of the unit's energy. The pods can be grouped together to form terraces or "pop-up villages'! In the latter instance rows of pods are separated by an elevated "street" surmounted by a canopy extending from the pods' pitched roofs on either side. Pods are preassembled in a shed before being forklifted into place on site. Because the pods are set to parking space dimensions, they are easily transported by lorry. Although the pods are designed as permanent buildings, they can be relocated. Equally, as ZedPod's steel supporting frame sits on pads, foundations are not required. "It's virtually Passivhaus," explains Dunster. "It's based on the Zero Bills Home we developed for the BRE so its high environmental spec' means high-energy efficiency which translates into low bills for the occupants. It's designed to be carbon neutral over its anticipated lifespan." But it is not ZEDfactory's trademark green credentials that are the pods' defining feature; Dunster reveals that they represent a canny commercial enterprise too. 'The key benefit is that you don't need to buy any land. ZedPods can be placed over any existing hard surface, such as a car park. On average it will only amount to a loss bf around 7.5% of car parking spaces so the owner still maintains land value." ZedPods are not designed for large families; they will be targeted to young professionals and key workers priced out of the housing market. Therefore the avoidance of land purchase costs will, according to Dunster, ultimately help keep sale and rental prices affordable, a crucial component of its offer. "We have funders in place who will deliver the homes at no cost to the car park owner and rent them out at market rental. Working with an affordable housing provider, we believe we have the lowest cost solution on the market because we do not need to buy land at market rates. The market will, to a certain extent, dictate what such a home can be sold for, but the positioning as a starter home will ensure it's delivered affordably to the market. It means a high-quality and low-carbon home can be rented out at the same price as the lowest quality bedsit in most cities." Fresh approaches to ^ n _ c uanu icincu ICI iai IUO MIL riesi I dfjpiUdUI lt?b The latest news, views and market data