TopHat, a Goldman Sachs-backed housebuilder, is to open Europe's largest modular housing factory in Corby, Northampton.
- The 650,000 sq. ft facility, equivalent to the size of 11 football pitches, will be capable of producing a home every hour, or 4,000 a year.
- Every single home that rolls off the factory's production lines will be incredibly energy-efficient and capable of achieving zero-carbon (meaning they will emit no emissions from utilities such as water, electricity and heating).
- In a boost for the Government's levelling-up agenda, the new facility will also create 1,000 highly skilled, green jobs in the Midlands.
- The announcement comes at a time when ministers and policymakers are throwing their support behind modern methods of construction (MMC) as a means of delivering much-needed, high-quality housing faster - as evidenced in a report from the House of Lords' Built Environment Committee. MMC involves homes being manufactured along production lines in a factory, much like how cars are created.
- New Northamptonshire site capable of producing "one-house-an-hour"
- State-of-the-art facility will use precision-engineering techniques to create c.4,000 energy-efficient homes a year
- Factory will be operational from 2023, creating 1,000 highly skilled jobs locally
NORTHAMPTON - 20 JUNE 2022 – TopHat, the leading 3D modular house builder, has announced today that it will open a new, 650,000 sq. ft cutting-edge facility in Corby, Northampton in 2023 (equivalent to 11 football pitches). This major investment builds on the success of TopHat's existing site in Derby which already produces up to 800 homes per year.
The new facility will bring together the latest robotics and TopHat's proprietary technology to manufacture and distribute up to 4,000 beautiful homes per year. One thousand new, green economy jobs across a wide range of roles will be created and a training academy will be established in partnership with local colleges.
TopHat is at the forefront of a house-building revolution, applying robotics and lean manufacturing techniques to increase housing supply, improve quality, reduce costs and protect the environment. TopHat's homes are low-carbon to build and ultra-low energy to run, significantly reducing living costs at a time of very high energy prices and into the future.
TopHat's unique technology platform, advanced robotics and innovative brick facade combine to create endless design possibilities without the high costs and loss of efficiency that are often associated with high levels of variation. TopHat can even offer end-buyers the opportunity to customise their homes through its Homes Configurator, much as they would configure a new car. This variation creates attractive communities where people want to live.
The new Corby facility will be the anchor tenant in the new Magna Park site being developed by GLP, the leading global logistics development manager, as part of a multi-million-pound investment in the site. Construction will begin later in the year, with the facility expected to be delivering its first homes by the end of 2023.
Jordan Rosenhaus, CEO and Founder of TopHat said: "TopHat's new facility will increase our capacity to over 4,500 homes a year. Our homes are designed to be beautiful and green, being low-carbon to build and much cheaper to run. TopHat is playing a leading role in transforming home building in the UK, improving quality, reducing costs and protecting the environment. We are also delighted to be creating 1,000 new jobs in Corby supported by a major investment in training through the TopHat Academy."
James Atkinson, Development Director of GLP said: "We are delighted that TopHat will be the anchor tenant for our new Magna Park in Corby bringing not only investment and jobs to the local community but also delivering innovative new homes which will be an important part of our future."
International real estate advisor Savills advised TopHat on the acquisition. Charles Spicer, industrial and logistics director at Savills, adds: "We were delighted to have delivered this result for TopHat, which is the largest manufacturing deal to complete so far this year. TopHat are an innovative occupier in a new market sector, which is particularly exciting news for the wider industrial market."
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