Will Polish homes cure the UK's housing woes?
Polish company Buma System SA caused quite a stir in Britain last year with its take on affordable housing, which could prove the answer to first-time buyers' prayers and prove very lucrative for the company.
In July 2004, the company built eight flats in London over three floors in just four days. The British media labeled it a "housing revolution," and although the trend hasn't conquered the market just yet, it could be thrust in to the limelight as the Labour government in Britain tries to house the nation.
Barling Court was Buma's first development in Great Britain. Situated in southeast London, Stockwell, the buildings are rented at relatively low prices of L100 to L148 (zł.600-888) to key workers, such as teachers, nurses, police officers and firefighters. "These buildings are for people who have to live in the center of the city," says Boleslaw Hyła, president of the management board of Buma Freedom Polska SA. Typically, their jobs require them to be on duty through the day and night, so they cannot afford to live far from their place of work. Thanks to the cheap rents of Buma's ready-made flats, they are not forced out of inner London areas such as Stockwell.
"The government in Great Britain is interested in promoting modern technologies," said Hyła. "The British market is very hospitable for foreign investors and much more liberal than, for example, the German one." The British Minister for Housing, Keith Hill, backs this up: "It's fantastic to see such innovative forms of modern methods of construction being introduced to the UK while also supporting our key worker-housing agenda."
"We offer a product which does not occur anywhere in the world. This is a building having the parameters of a regular house, but at the same time it can be dismantled," says Jacek Michalski, executive director of Buma System SA. For the Barling project, four steel-framed modules, with windows, doors and carpeting, were built in a Kraków factory and transported by lorries to Great Britain, where they were bolted together.
BUMA's first building at Barling Court was equipped with IKEA furniture. "This was the investor's request," says Hyła. "In the case of our next projects, the new buildings will be equipped with furniture produced by a small company in Kraków, it is cheaper and better," he reveals.
The company already has a new project in the pipeline. Situated at Wyndham Road, Stockwell, the building is designed to be used for 15 years. While Barling Court houses eight flats and consists of 20 modules, the Wyndham Road project is thought to have 18 flats and 45 modules. Further planned projects, on Lingham Street, Stockwell and Tenda Road, Camberwell, will be even more ambitious, the company says.
The company has received a lot of requests from developers elsewhere in Europe, but, for the moment, has no plans to act on them. "We are interested," says Hyła. "However, at the moment no project is being realized there, as the process of preparing an investment is very long."
"[Barling Court] is the most exciting project we have undertaken," said Charlie Adams, chief executive of the Hyde Group, a British partner of Buma Group.
"Based on inquiries and interest concerning the Buma Freedom System we expect to have orders for about 150 flats a year. The positive reaction of the London market is certainly a result of the first Barling Court project," said Mike Kirk, development director of the Hyde Group.
In July 2004, the company built eight flats in London over three floors in just four days. The British media labeled it a "housing revolution," and although the trend hasn't conquered the market just yet, it could be thrust in to the limelight as the Labour government in Britain tries to house the nation.
Barling Court was Buma's first development in Great Britain. Situated in southeast London, Stockwell, the buildings are rented at relatively low prices of L100 to L148 (zł.600-888) to key workers, such as teachers, nurses, police officers and firefighters. "These buildings are for people who have to live in the center of the city," says Boleslaw Hyła, president of the management board of Buma Freedom Polska SA. Typically, their jobs require them to be on duty through the day and night, so they cannot afford to live far from their place of work. Thanks to the cheap rents of Buma's ready-made flats, they are not forced out of inner London areas such as Stockwell.
"The government in Great Britain is interested in promoting modern technologies," said Hyła. "The British market is very hospitable for foreign investors and much more liberal than, for example, the German one." The British Minister for Housing, Keith Hill, backs this up: "It's fantastic to see such innovative forms of modern methods of construction being introduced to the UK while also supporting our key worker-housing agenda."
"We offer a product which does not occur anywhere in the world. This is a building having the parameters of a regular house, but at the same time it can be dismantled," says Jacek Michalski, executive director of Buma System SA. For the Barling project, four steel-framed modules, with windows, doors and carpeting, were built in a Kraków factory and transported by lorries to Great Britain, where they were bolted together.
BUMA's first building at Barling Court was equipped with IKEA furniture. "This was the investor's request," says Hyła. "In the case of our next projects, the new buildings will be equipped with furniture produced by a small company in Kraków, it is cheaper and better," he reveals.
The company already has a new project in the pipeline. Situated at Wyndham Road, Stockwell, the building is designed to be used for 15 years. While Barling Court houses eight flats and consists of 20 modules, the Wyndham Road project is thought to have 18 flats and 45 modules. Further planned projects, on Lingham Street, Stockwell and Tenda Road, Camberwell, will be even more ambitious, the company says.
The company has received a lot of requests from developers elsewhere in Europe, but, for the moment, has no plans to act on them. "We are interested," says Hyła. "However, at the moment no project is being realized there, as the process of preparing an investment is very long."
"[Barling Court] is the most exciting project we have undertaken," said Charlie Adams, chief executive of the Hyde Group, a British partner of Buma Group.
"Based on inquiries and interest concerning the Buma Freedom System we expect to have orders for about 150 flats a year. The positive reaction of the London market is certainly a result of the first Barling Court project," said Mike Kirk, development director of the Hyde Group.
