Simon Dudley named new chair of UK housing development project AIMCH
The Advanced Industrialised Methods for the Construction of Homes (AIMCH) project has welcomed Simon Dudley, interim chair of Homes England, as chair of the AIMCH stakeholder group.
The £6.5 million AIMCH project is a collaboration between Stewart Milne Group, Barratt Developments, London & Quadrant Housing Trust, Tarmac Trading, the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) and Forster Roofing Services. It is funded by UKRI and project managed by Limberger Associates.
The stakeholder group provides vital two-way engagement to disseminate project learnings and outcomes with industry stakeholder organisations. The project aims to tackle the UK housing crisis by using cost effective modern methods of construction (MMC) delivered using industrialised offsite panelised solutions.
Mr Dudley brings a wealth of experience to the role having been involved in major construction projects, including those as part of Maidenhead Borough’s regeneration during his three and a half year tenure as borough leader.
He said: “I’m delighted to join as chair of the AIMCH project. The stakeholder group draws together key interests and views, to share learning and concerns, providing a collective approach and wider market impact to drive the uptake of MMC systems.
“AIMCH is forward-thinking and committed to delivering high quality cost effective housing. The AIMCH project will have an even greater role to play as the construction sector resets from COVID-19. The clear benefits from MMC will address the challenges faced in a post-pandemic economy made more complex with Brexit and net zero carbon goals. Industrialised offsite panelised solutions will act as a catalyst for a step change in the industry. Capturing all these benefits through this project are key insights for industry going forward.”
The three-year AIMCH project, which has been live since early 2019, has been trialling new digital design tools, manufacturing advancements, improved near-to-market offsite systems and lean site processes on live housing projects over the past 18 months.
The ultimate goal of the project is to support the sector by delivering the 120,000 target for the same or less cost than traditional methods, are built 30% quicker and have 50% less defects. The project has potential to impact on 35,000 homes being delivered by AIMCH partners across the UK, each year.
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