A sculpture highlighting the potential of modular construction and offsite manufacturing in tackling the UK’s housing crisis has been chosen to be included in the Royal Academy of Arts’ prestigious Summer Exhibition
Offsite manufacturing and modular construction might seem unusual inspirations for contemporary art but a new abstract sculpture replicating a modern, modular system to tackle the UK housing crisis has been handpicked to be part of the Royal Academy of Arts’ prestigious Summer Exhibition.
The innovative sculpture, POP.U.LATE, by award-winning architecture firm astudio was created over a three-week period using 3D-printed modular units.
Standing at two metres tall, it replicates an offsite manufacturing system with six types of one-, two- and three-bed apartments stacked in different orientation, representing a total of 150 homes.
POP.U.LATE has been chosen as one of over 1,300 works of art to be part of the 250th Summer Exhibition. This year’s event has been curated by the Turner Prize-winning contemporary artist Grayson Perry RA.
The sculpture showcases how design for manufacture and modern methods of assembly can deliver homes to high quality, more efficiently than traditional practices, something astudio believes will be a crucial element in meeting the UK’s demand for 105,000 affordable houses and 300,000 new homes overall every year.
The efficiency and speed with which the sculpture was created, using the latest CAD/CAM software and 3D printing, is intended to mirror the ease and efficiency with which homes can be engineered using a modular approach.
The totem-style design is also symbolic of the advantages that come with using existing space so that people can access property in dense, popular urban areas by building upwards.
The sculpture illustrates astudio’s proprietary approach to housing, which revolves around on-site assembly. The firm produces a unique standard “chassis” that allows it to design, manufacture, supply and install volumetric offsite homes.
It also allows continuous and repetitive production, which reduces costs, time and defects, and has environmental benefits, including lower carbon emissions and energy use through the incorporation of new forms of renewable energy sources, as well as heat recovery systems.
There are currently around 1.7m families, or approximately 4.5m people, in the UK in need of an affordable home.
However, as a country we are currently producing less than half the number of new homes needed each year, contributing to rising property prices and adding another one million people to waiting lists annually.
POP.U.LATE represents the possibilities manufacturing, supplying and installing volumetric offsite modular and sustainable housing can bring to towns and cities.
“We are redefining the way affordable homes can be built and are honoured to showcase POP.U.LATE at one of the world’s most respected exhibitions,” says Richard Hyams, co-founder and chief executive of astudio.
“London in particular is one of the world’s most exciting places and in order to maintain its rich mix of cultures and people, we must address and work in partnership with developers, local councils and the community to provide tangible housing solutions for the people it serves.
“To be recognised by the Royal Academy is testament not only to the unwavering commitment of our dedicated team but a demonstration of the immense talent and creativity that exists at astudio beyond the strict world of architecture, to design solutions to help address some of society’s largest housing, social, and environmental issues.”
The Royal Academy of Arts’ Summer Exhibition has been held every year without interruption since 1769. This year’s show includes a monumental sculpture by Anish Kapoor, which will be placed in the academy’s courtyard, as well as new works from David Hockney and Joana Casconcelos.
Other Royal Academicians whose work will appear in the exhibition include Wolfgang Tillmans, Tracey Emin and Rose Wylie.
The Summer Exhibition runs from 12 June to 19 August.
Richard Hyams
Co-founder & CEO
astudio
Tel: +44 (0)207 401 4100
Twitter: @AstudioArch
LinkedIn: astudio
