Travis Perkins has announced the completion of the first homes designed and built using its “ground-breaking” WholeHouse platform in Leicestershire.
Launched last year, WholeHouse is described as “a platform designed to revolutionise the way SME housebuilders plan, design and construct new homes.” Specifically created for housebuilders building up to 250 units a year, it means that they can plan and design a bespoke digital model of a house before physically constructing it to ensure “detailed and accurate design, plans and material pricing of developments from the first day.”
From start to finish, Travis Perkins says the process can be completed in under an hour, “saving weeks off the planning process and construction phase to the benefit of both builders and homeowners.”
Using the WholeHouse platform, Bowbridge Homes has now developed a pair of semi-detached properties on its site near Melton Mowbray, enabling it to increase their thermal performance and try new renewable heating packages without having to spend months changing designs and checking compliance with the latest regulations.
With further site starts expected to begin later this year, Lee Jackson, Director of WholeHouse said: “Seeing the first home completed using the WholeHouse platform is a fantastic achievement. This platform was designed to simplify the complex process of building new homes, and now we can see its real-world impact. It’s designed to help SME housebuilders plan, design and construct new homes and we’re thrilled to be at the forefront of this innovation.
“This platform has been years in the making and is the culmination of over 500 years of collective collaboration and industry experience. It puts the housebuilder in the driving seat and enables them to simplify the traditionally complex process of planning, costing and building new homes at the click of a button.”
Ray Jordan, Construction Director at Bowbridge Homes, added: “The design coordination and information available ahead of construction has been a real advantage, from the Pre-Manufactured Utility Cupboard, allowing the air source heat pump to be installed more efficiently and effectively on-site, all the way down to every door being the same size to simplify both site practices and the wider supply chain.”
Based on a digital design process, Travis Perkins says that WholeHouse has been developed in partnership with industry leading experts including architects, engineers and consultants as well as customers and suppliers. It means they can bring plots and developments to life through 3D visualisation in designs that can be easily adapted, personalised and tailored depending on customer requirements.
Furthermore, WholeHouse is said to reduce development risk by allowing housebuilders to create a house type from “over half a billion fully coordinated, tried and tested designs.” This enables builders to create costed construction drawings with accurate elevations, floor plans, specifications, cross sections, required build materials and more at the click of a button.
Traditionally many of these items would need to be manually costed from drawings and separate subcontractor quotes whilst, because it “ensures detailed and accurate material pricing from the beginning,” the platform promotes improved sustainability by reducing material waste and providing informed choices around low carbon solutions.
This is also said to lead to a reduction in development costs because of the accurate and real-time pricing the portal provides.
