Zedpods new housing scheme: Hope Rise

In January 2021, residents moved into the first Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) development of its kind to be completed in the UK. This award winning affordable housing scheme; Hope Rise, is a partnership between ZED PODS and Bristol City Council, supported by Bristol Housing Festival and YMCA Bristol. It combines an innovative development with an environmental conscience. It consists of a community of 11 zero carbon, modular starter homes. Located in St George, Bristol these homes are the first to be constructed on a platform above a car park. 

The fully Space Standards Compliant ZED POD is a prefabricated one-bedroom starter-home with a difference. It offers almost instant high-quality housing without the land and site issues associated with the conventional new build.

​Once delivered to site, construction and installation can be completed, often within 24 hours for a single unit, ready for immediate occupancy.

As with any innovation, lessons can be learnt from the challenges and the successes. The success of the installation of the ZED PODS dwellings was a learning point in itself for ZED PODS with planned time scales being found to be overly generous in some cases and overly optimistic in others. For example, the foundations were given 2 weeks to go in and took 4 days. Steel works were given 3 weeks to go up and took 5 days. 

These homes were delivered by Zedpods with additional funding from the Innovate UK project Enabling Housing Innovation for Inclusive Growth

To read the lessons learnt gained from this valuable project please click here

Hope Rise modules being craned into place – video courtesy of ZED PODS

The modules were all built and fitted out with bathrooms and kitchens in just eight weeks and driven down the motorway and craned onto the site mid-August. 

The nine ground-floor modules were craned on the steel frame in a single day, with the second storey modules all added on top the following day. On a third day (after a weekend) the four larger 2- bed unit modules were installed, to complete the terrace. These larger modules were within transportable width, but once off the motorway had a police escort to the site.