The UK faces both housing and environmental crises. The country has a backlog of around 4.3 million unbuilt homes. This has created a housing deficit that would take at least 50 years to fill, even if the target to build 300,000 new homes a year is achieved.

At the same time, the construction sector is responsible for the largest share of the UK’s waste and a quarter of the nation’s carbon footprint, with little policy ambition to cut the use of raw materials driving these environmental impacts. But, is it possible to scale up house building in a way that satisfactorily tackles both crises?

On Thursday 4 May 2023, we asked if modern methods of construction (MMC) could be the means to increase the availability and affordability of homes, while simultaneously decreasing their environmental impact. We covered the benefits and the role it could play in the just transition, the structural barriers faced in scaling up MMC, and the government support needed to provide more resilient housing for all.

The panel discussion was followed by an audience Q&A.

Panellists

• Chair: Jessie Wilde, deputy project director, Bristol Housing Festival
• Nick Fulford, CEO, nHouse
• Kai Liebetanz, senior sustainability advisor, UK Green Building Council
• Professor Chris Goodier, School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering, Loughborough University