BMHT – Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust

A modern spacious modular house, the ‘ModPod Type E’ is a pioneering modern method of construction (MMC). The Midlands like the rest of the UK has a chronic shortage of both private and public affordable housing. Birmingham City Council recognise that need and turned to ModPods International to develop a solution that is not just affordable, but modern, quirky and desirable to live in, as well as completely ‘Off-Site’ manufactured and ready to occupy when its sited.

A two-storey, two-bedroom pod, that exceeds the NDSS minimum living space standards to occupy up to four people. The substructure is a robust combination of hot and cold rolled insulated steel forming a solid subframe with a choice of external finishes, in this case grey fire retardant acrylic brick slips to the ground floor that are a light weight alternative to traditional brick and offer a realistic brick finish, and fire retardant powder coated aluminium cladding to the first floor and roof, offering a modern metallic finish. Complete with covered porchway and first floor balcony. An attractive stylish and spacious dwelling with built in storage areas, fully fitted kitchen and on this occasion fully furnished gifted by ‘Family Fund’

Completely factory built, delivered and lowered in a single afternoon on to a pre-prepared site that was once an abandoned piece of waste land, a local eyesore attracting fly tipping and anti-social behaviour, Now transformed into a desirable living space.

The day of delivery and the adrenaline and excitement was high. The ModPod had left the factory, journeyed from Coventry, along the M6 down the Aston Expressway and through Birmingham City Centre to its destination in Hockley Birmingham. The foundation blocks and landscaping were already prepared, and the ground floor pod lowered at 12.30pm in the afternoon, swiftly followed by the first-floor pod that was lowered and docked at 1.30pm.

A small amount of post delivery works to close the join and lay pea gravel around the perimeter of the pod to finish to the surrounding pathway was all that was required prior to the ‘Click and Use’ services connected and the client BMHT in celebratory fashion turned the power on. In one afternoon, the Pod was ready to handover to the new tenant.

14 months on and completing its 12-month defects liability with ‘Zero’ defects and a happy resident with running costs at £1.26 per day and a score of 100% on the customer satisfaction survey – ModPods have delivered all its promises.