A development built with the the help of a cutting-edge robot has just been completed. Housing chiefs say it is a ‘defining moment for the future of the construction industry’.
The race to build 1.5m new homes across the UK could be won with the help of a robot called ‘Walter’.
A pioneering housing development built with the help of the cutting-edge technology has just been completed. Housing chiefs say it is a ‘defining moment for the future of the construction industry’.
The government aims to build 1.5m new homes in England over a five-year period, translating to an average target of about 370,00-a-year. JT Lifestyle Homes has now officially finished the development in Thornley, County Durham. It was the first in the UK to use a wall-laying terra-based robot – nicknamed WLTR or ‘Walter’ – to place bricks with speed and ultimate precision.
Dr Jan Telensky, founder and CEO of JT Lifestyle Homes, hopes the technology will help address the labour shortage in the construction industry. Dr Telensky said: “There is currently a severe shortage of bricklayers in the UK, along with a wider skills shortage across much of the construction industry.
“With ambitious housing targets we need to get to grips with new technology to help us meet the demand for new homes – and fast. We have been incredibly impressed with how Walter has helped us speed up build time.
“Using a robot which works in all weathers also meant we knew what the output would be, come rain or shine. Walter picks up and lays the bricks with precision, enhancing the overall build and literally taking the heavy lifting out of the job. It is operated by experienced trades professionals who can monitor the build and deal with the more intricate aspects of the job.”
Now finished, the Maple Close scheme boasts both cutting-edge exteriors and modern interiors. All homes are equipped with solar panels on their roofs and the homes are built with specialist clay blocks that are lower in carbon than other materials and have enhanced thermal performance.
They also use less water, are lightweight and generate no mortar waste. Any damaged blocks can be crushed and reused as hardcore on site.
The UK is in the grip of a “housing crisis” and new PM Andy Burnham wants to deliver “the biggest council house building programme since the post-war period” – but has not as yet revealed any detailed plans. Keir Starmer pledged £39bn to fund the construction of 300,000 new “social and affordable houses” over the course of 10 years during the 2025 Spending Review, and said this money would “reinvigorate” council housebuilding.
That would equate to around 30,000 new homes a year, but the majority of those were expected to be social housing constructed by not-for-profit housing associations using government grants. Council house construction has collapsed across England since the 1980s and much of the stock of local authority homes has been sold off with the right to buy scheme of the Thatcher government.
