Bute Street Containers
The Bute Street Shipping Container project is an exciting new venture for Willis Construction as well as our Clients Cadwyn Housing Association and Cardiff Council. The scheme will be comprised of 13 new dwellings to be utilised as temporary accommodation until a more permanent housing solution can be found for the occupants. A site office will be formed in a 14th container which visiting support staff can work from.
The project will provide a mix of one- and two-bedroom dwellings utilising a 40ft container connected to a 20ft container for the ground floor two-bedroom units and a single 40ft container for the upper floor single bedroom units.
The dwellings will be finished to a high standard whilst ensuring they are compliant with building regulations that govern traditional residential buildings. The schemes green credentials are boosted by the inclusion of solar panels on the roofs.
The scheme has been designed to enable the containers to be dismantled and moved to another location in the future, either as a collective or as part of a smaller group. The focus on re-location was a key design consideration for the clients.
To ensure the project adds social sustainability value, a selection of local people will be given the opportunity to participate in a 10 week long supervised construction programme. The programme will be overseen by Willis Construction and give the volunteers the opportunity to fit out a whole dwelling unit, exposing them to a wide variety of trades across the 10 weeks.
Ground works commenced in May 2019 with the containers delivered to site in June. Full occupation is targeted for late 2019.
The scheme has generated a substantial amount of outside interest including a visit from the Welsh School of Architecture in July.
In August the successful candidates took up there place on the 10 week training programme which kicked off with a tour of Willis’s sites and head office in Cardiff.
