What are we doing
We delivered 48 flats, 4 bungalows, a community building and staff office to house and support homeless families.
‘No going back’ was the challenge from Welsh Government in response to the Covid-19 Pandemic: – Implement a sustainable and long-term strategy for homelessness provision.
We responded to the challenge! Our newly named development ‘Hafan’, a Welsh translation of ‘Haven’ and will provide a safe haven for homeless families in Cardiff.
Using the Beattie Passive demountable House4 modular system, we were able to swiftly deliver a fully demountable development capable of being relocated elsewhere as and when required. Fully certified to a Passivhaus and a Net-Zero Carbon standard.
The site provides the following:
- 24 x 3-bed apartments, 12 x 2-bed apartments and 12 x 1-bed apartments.
- 4 x 1-bed bungalows.
- Three of the ground floor apartments and the four bungalows are partially accessible and one ground floor apartment is fully accessible.
- A community building has been built on site to provide training, education and creche facilities.
- A staff office with 24/7 support and security.
- All buildings are certified Passivhaus and Net-Zero Carbon Standard.
- All residential blocks have individual courtyards, drying facilities and cycle storage.
- Rain gardens have been installed for sustainable drainage.
And there are new road, kerbs and on-site car parking available.
As part of a wider response to the Covid-19 Pandemic and in order to quickly deliver an urgent family homelessness scheme, emergency planning consent was granted for 18 months and a contract awarded to Beattie Passive for their off-site modular system. Beattie Passive performing the role of main contractor to deliver the whole project on behalf of the council. A further planning application will be submitted seeking a 5 year temporary use of the site.
As well as family flats the scheme also delivers a Community Building that will provide a hub for training, education and support to the residents including a creche for toddlers. Residents will be able to attend sessions with trained staff for parenting skills, cookery, Into work and money advice services.
The site will be a platform for residents to learn and grow in confidence to move into permanent accommodation.
This also ensures an otherwise vacant site is used in the short-term whilst the redevelopment of the site for housing is designed and submitted for planning.
48 DQR compliant residential units across 3 blocks, incorporating a community building and separate office.
The units will consist of:
• 24 x 3-bed apartments
• 12 x 2-bed apartments
• 12 x 1-bed apartments.
Three of the apartments will be partially accessible and one apartment will be fully accessible.
The scheme will provide vital self-contained temporary homelessness accommodation with 24/7 onsite support.
The scheme will be the first demountable residential zero carbon / passivhaus standard development in Europe. All units on site will benefit from renewable energy sourced from Photovoltaic panels and air source heat pumps as well as incorporating a high performing building fabric, reducing heating & power bills for tenants and reducing carbon emissions.
Current Status
The scheme was completed in February 2023 under an emergency planning consent, and we are in the process of applying for a 5-year temporary planning permission to extent the stay on the site.
Current Images
Artist’s Impressions
Get in touch
If you have any questions or concerns about this project, please contact us.