Construction work has begun on the new Homes England office in Northestowe, which is being constructed using a full modular system
The new Homes England office will form a new southeastern base for the UK Government’s housing agency and is located within phase 2 of the new town of Northstowe to the north of Cambridge.
The project represents an important addition to the practice’s commercial portfolio and explores innovative ideas for structured and informal work environments. Break out areas and touch-down spaces are located throughout the building designed in response to the itinerant inter-region working patterns of Homes England employees.
The 620 sq metre open-plan office building will provide a modern, purpose-built office environment together with meeting rooms, breakout spaces, conference facilities and a ground level multi-use space to be used for public consultation events, exhibitions and presentations as the Northstowe development progresses.
The two-storey building is being constructed using a full modular system, reducing construction time and disruption, and allowing the building to be re-used and adapted to provide future community facilities for the wider development.
As previously reported by PBC Today, offsite construction specialist McAvoy Group have been appointed as the main contractor to deliver the project as Homes England continue to champion the benefits of modular construction.
When complete, Northstowe will be the UK’s largest new town since Milton Keynes with 10,000 new homes. As well as designing the new south-east regional office for Homes England, Proctor and Matthews Architects were appointed in June 2017 to provide architectural services for Northstowe Phase 2, to produce concept designs for the initial parcel of 400 homes.
Stephen Proctor, director at Proctor and Matthews Architects, said: “We’re extremely pleased to be working alongside Homes England on their new office building at Northstowe.
“Our latest commercial building will be a focus for the emerging new town and a showcase of the benefits of flexible design and modular construction. Our design references local crafts, heritage and textures, lending character to what we hope will become a popular and practical community building in the years to come.”
