Y: Cube Housing | Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

What is it? Y:Cube is a unique off-site construction and housing system made by world-renowned architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners in partnership with YMCA London South West. It provides high quality accommodation which can be built faster and crucially cheaper than using traditional methods of construction. Each unit is constructed from high quality, eco efficient materials (primarily renewable timber), creating accommodation that is so well insulated that they require little or no heating, even in winter months. This presents further valuable savings as the cost of energy rises. The Y:Cube units are 26m2 studio-like apartments made for single occupancy, that arrive on site as self-contained units. Each unit is constructed in the factory with all the services already incorporated. Therefore, the water, heating and electricity can be easily connected to existing facilities or to other Y:Cubes already on site. This ‘plug and play’ approach results in a modular, demountable system of apartments that are perfectly designed for brownfield sites. Additional units can be added if needed and whole developments can be taken apart and rebuilt in new locations. The units are located in clusters (of between 24 to 40 units) on brownfield sites that are purchased or leased. Schemes are owned and managed by a housing charity, registered housing provide or local authority. Y:Cube uses a pre-constructed ‘plug and play’ modular system which enables the streamlined units to stack easily on top or alongside each other, making it completely adaptable to the size and space available and therefore perfect for tight urban sites. 30% of the rental income is retained to cover management and maintenance costs and remainder is used to pay off the capital finance. Where sites are leased at the end of the lease period the accommodation will be removed and relocated onto another site. The construction costs and professional fees are low enough for a scheme to clear all capital finance within 10 years. The project management and construction for the Y:Cube is provided by UK contractor Insulshell www.insulshell.co.uk The units are designed to meet Building Regulations and meet at least Code Level 4 for Sustainable Homes. Who is it for? Y:Cube Housing is ideally suited for move on accommodation for single people who have previously been accommodated in hostels/foyers and other temporary housing schemes. There are other applications for Y:Cube Housing that include providing accommodation for key workers and students. Y:Cube provides a genuine, affordable alternative to the private rented sector. What is the purpose of the Y:Cube? YMCA London South West is hoping that the Y:Cube will help young people who are struggling to get onto the housing market. Andy Redfearn, Director of Housing and Development at YMCA LSW, explains: “As the largest provider of supported accommodation for young people in the country, YMCA is increasingly seeing young people struggling to afford the costs of private rent. Even for a young person in employment, a combination of low wages and high rents can quickly see them priced out of the market. We constantly see young people thrive and gain independence within our hostel accommodation, only to be left with no options when it comes to the time for them to move on. We believe Y:Cube presents a significant opportunity to deliver genuinely affordable housing to meet the increasing housing demand in London that is not only affordable to rent but with the added effect of low utility bills. The demand for affordable housing is significantly outstripping supply and the city desperately needs to dins a solution which can enable young people to secure a place to call their own, while working and saving for a deposit and their next step towards independent living”. The Mitcham Scheme It is hoped that the first Y:Cube Housing scheme could open in Merton by the end of 2014, providing 36 homes for local people in housing need. This will be a much sought after scheme in London, where housing prices are booming.