45 | UK Enterprise Awards 2022 Reinventing social housing design is the mission of Hertfordshire company, Kelson Homes Ltd. Its purpose is to provide sustainable solutions to the UK social housing shortage. Changing the way we think about housing design and construction, Kelson Homes invites us to imagine a place where everyone has access to affordable housing. We speak to the CEO and Co-Founder of the company, Sacha Malik. According to the Chartered Institute of Housing’s UK Housing Review, 2022, gaps in housing affordability are continuing to worsen across most of the UK. One means of addressing the gaps is via the growing ‘Build to Rent’ (B2R) sector. Largescale residential developments constructed by the Private Rented Sector (PRS), generate income from tenanting rented units with shared facilities. Usually located in or around city centres, B2R developments provide premium quality accommodation at affordable prices. Whilst progress is being made, significant challenges lie ahead for developers. Finding land at the right price without being outbid by traditional residential builders can be tricky. And being able to navigate the complexities of the UK planning policy approach to PRS is not an easy process. Incorporated in June 2019, Kelson Homes is a real estate developer with a primary focus on making a positive social impact. Working with local authorities, registered housing providers and public bodies such as Historic England, the company aims to create new communities enabling upward economic mobility. A seasoned property developer in both the UK and Poland, Sacha explains the ‘why’ behind the Kelson Homes brand, “The UK housing market is suffering from a lack of supply, especially of affordable housing. This is creating fault lines within communities where there is an unequal distribution of social equity and upward economic mobility. We see a home not in isolation but as a part of someone’s social-economic identity and aspiration. We set up Kelson determined to deliver a sustainable socioeconomic housing model that yields experiences to enrich, empower, and connect communities. ” Leveraging academic knowledge, the team’s extensive previous experience and the latest technology, the company has developed an unique methodology to disrupt the build-to-rent status quo. Apr22203 Best Affordable Housing Development Enterprise 2022 One of Kelson Homes’ priorities is to reduce the impact of its housing provision on the environment. As much as possible, homes are manufactured from renewable resources. For the most part, construction takes place in factories. This has been found to minimise waste and maximise efficiency. An added bonus of the factory build is the assembly and testing of all mechanical, plumbing and electrical units before arriving on site. The structures are lightweight, making them easy to transport in panel form or as three-dimensional modules. Once on site, structures are adapted to meet the needs of the environment and the planned occupants. Raising buildings up mitigates potential flood risk. The simple addition of groundlevel walkways and ramps allow wheelchair users to be accommodated for. The homes also boast energy efficient A+ ratings reducing the need for both heating and air conditioning. Sacha believes the prioritisation of certain initiatives will enable more people to access affordable housing. He tells us, “Planning rules need to be more liberal and affordable funding made available. Encouraging councils to support SME developers and introducing a new green agenda for modular construction would help to resolve the current impasse.” Kelson Homes’ collaborators include leading Eastern European modular contratctos, Catapult Energy Systems technology centres and sustainable architect White Architects. The company is currently working on a project in South London and one in Manchester which it hopes to reveal more details about soon. The future looks promising for Kelson Homes, and we look forward to seeing what it does next. Contact: Sacha Malik Company: Kelson Homes Ltd Web Address: www.kelsonhomes.com
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