I promise you ‘fab’ houses
TV ARCHITECT‘S FACTORY HOME PROJECT
TV architect George Clarke has revealed he is designing the next set of factory-built houses at an historic former shipyard in North Shields.
The Sunderland-born presenter of programmes such as Channel 4’s Restoration Man, The Great British Property Scandal and George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, will create 10 ‘factorybuilt’ houses at Smith’s Dock.
A total of 24 three-storey townhouses have already been installed on the site as part of a regeneration project led by Places for People and Urban Splash. These were built in a factory in Nottinghamshire before being transported to North Shields and erected on site.
And the next 10 homes, which will be two storeys high, will be designed by Mr Clarke.
The TV presenter, who grew up in Washington and studied architecture at Newcastle University, said: “For 15 years now I’ve watched the modular market and waited to make my move.
“Smith’s Dock was the perfect opportunity for me – primarily because I get to be a part of this ambitious regeneration project, but also because I can bring my passion for raising the standard of UK homes through modular development. I’ve been carrying out research on this for three years.
“This is a fantastic North East site, not just because it sits near the river, but also because of the history of Smith’s Dock. “For me, being involved is quite exciting - this is chance for me to create some new-build beautiful homes. They will be called FAB houses - an abbreviation for factory-built, affordable and beautiful.” He said the housing industry needed to show more innovation than the bland ‘Noddy-box’ homes that were popping up across the country. He added: ““These Noddy-box houses may have good insulation, more energy efficient boilers and double glazing but they take a long time to build, and we are not the driest or warmest place in the world. “I’ve always thought, ‘Why don’t we build houses the same way we build cars – highly engineered by technicians and engineers in a factory? “The idea is to create off-site manufactured homes of the best quality. This is the first step forward in a new way of building homes and creating new ways of living.” People will be able to see the first 24 homes at Smith’s Dock today from 11am. The properties will be on sale with prices from £285,000. There will also be a pop-up heritage exhibition to celebrate the yard’s history. The former shipyard will ultimately feature around 800 homes, including 80 waterfront apartments known as Smokehouses now under construction.
They will be called FAB houses – an abbreviation for factory-built, affordable and beautiful George Clarke