news from BRE
published: 5/12/2005
BRE to advise £60,000-house competition winners
The process improvement techniques, Calibre and SmartWaste, will be implemented by consultants from BRE on all four sites where work is set to start on the Government's 'Design for Manufacture' programme.
The site developers, selected by national regeneration agency English Partnerships, are tasked with building affordable homes at a target construction cost of £60,000. Using Calibre for real-time performance monitoring, and SmartWaste to identify and reduce construction waste will drive performance improvements to help them achieve their goal.
The developers are Barratt Developments plc, George Wimpey UK and the SIXTYK Consortium, comprising Crest Nicholson and Kingspan Offsite. They will be building a combined total of more than 500 homes on sites in Milton Keynes, Leeds, Northampton and Newport Pagnell of which at least 30% will be built to a construction cost of £60,000. The remainder will be a mix of smaller and larger homes constructed with similar cost efficiencies.
English Partnerships have specified that all developers on the sites will be monitored using Calibre and SmartWaste.
Steve Carr, Head of Policy and Economics of English Partnerships said: 'The Government set the bar very high to ensure the winning bids were of the highest design, cost efficiency and environmental standards. The advice provided by BRE will enhance performance in the way the winning bids are executed.'
Dr Peter Bonfield, Managing Director of the Construction Division at BRE said: 'We are confident that Calibre and SmartWaste will make a substantive contribution to controlling costs, boosting productivity and improving environmental performance by identifying key waste products for reduction, re-use and recycling'.
Press enquiries to Angela Swann, tel: 01923 664669, e-mail: swanna@bre.co.uk
Notes for editors
BRE Calibre maps the construction process, identifies and codes packages and tasks, monitors site and factory construction processes and produces analysis, reports and feedback. It is a sophisticated tool developed by BRE over the past 20 years on more than 50 construction projects including hotels, supermarkets, car parks, airport terminals and schools, as well as housing developments.
BRE SmartWaste (Site Methodology to Audit, Reduce and Target Waste) is a web-based, practical approach to evaluating waste and its generation. It can be applied to any waste generating activity and has already been adapted and used in the construction, demolition, refurbishment, manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries.
BREMAP - an integral part of BRE SmartWaste - is a geographical information system that enables developers to reduce transport of bulk waste by locating the nearest most suitable waste management site.
Design for Manufacture is part of the Government's commitment to deliver decent, affordable homes for everyone - whether to rent or buy - in sustainable communities where people will be proud to live.
BRE is the UK's leading centre of expertise for construction, the built environment, sustainability, energy, fire and many associated issues. We provide research, consultancy, information and testing services to customers worldwide. http://www.bre.co.uk/
BRE is owned by the BRE Trust, a Registered charity (no. 1092193) with a mission to champion excellence and innovation in the built environment for the benefit of all. http://www.bretrust.org.uk/