We are currently working on a scaled-up manufacturing and distribution site for TopHat, a company at the forefront of the modular house-building revolution, which is applying robotics and lean manufacturing techniques to increase housing supply, improve quality, reduce costs and protect the environment.

At nearly seven times the size of TopHat’s existing Derby facility, the new 650,000 sqft scheme – equivalent to 11 football pitches – will be the anchor tenant at global market leader in logistics real estate GLP’s new Magna Park development in Corby, Northamptonshire, and will be Europe’s largest modular homes plant. The state-of-the-art project will be used by TopHat as a facility for the storage, assembly and distribution of its market-leading modular housing products. It will enable the company to bring together on one site the latest robotics, technology and precision engineering techniques – capable of delivering one house every hour – to manufacture and distribute 4,000 new homes per year.

The architectural design required a bespoke approach to adapt the standard sizes for industrial space to take into consideration the scale required to manufacture a house in a warehouse. Thicker slabs and an adapted grid with larger than normal doors will allow for the wider vehicles required to move huge modular components around. Part of the open plant deck will be utilised as a viewing terrace overlooking production within the warehouse; the offices and board room will benefit from the same view with extensive viewing windows.

The structure will be a Net Zero building constructed to GLP’s enhanced specifications, including BREEAM® Excellent and designed to include WELL principles, as well as LED lighting throughout and low water spray taps. The site will also benefit from a provision for electric vehicles, a G-Hive scheme, wildflower planting to improve biodiversity and a programme with Planet Mark offered for the first year of occupancy to help manage energy use. The project is now on site and we will be following the construction progress through our social media channels.

Chetwoods and GLP have worked in partnership for over thirty years, designing and delivering the innovative and sustainable logistics warehouse developments for which both companies are renowned. The logistics parks that we have collaborated on have become blueprints for the development of successful large-scale logistics parks around the world.

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