FAB-HAB Project is a business with a purpose and a profit in mind. A staggering 8 million homes in the UK are poor quality. Most homes are not as thermally efficient as they could be either. In fact our homes contribute almost a third of the UK’s total carbon dioxide emissions. Even though there is a drive for more sustainable and energy efficient homes, most builders still use relatively traditional materials and techniques.

However, the founders of the Howbery Park design and construction company FAB-HAB Project, are taking a completely different approach to housebuilding. Architectural designer Oliver Margison and sustainable construction specialist Kate Brown believe there is a better, flexible and more affordable way to design and build homes.

“We both disliked how traditional construction relied on carbon-heavy materials” said Kate Brown. “We have a what we describe as a digital ‘lego’ design for affordable construction which is net-zero in carbon emissions”.

The components are digitally designed and the cutting instructions can then be precisely cut and delivered to the building site as a large flat-pack. The whole structure can be assembled by any able-bodied person, even if they do not have traditional construction skills.

It is an idea the business hopes can help to democratise the housing market because it can appeal to a self-builder who wants to design their own space but without most of the worries involved. The system aims to deliver a high performance, net zero-carbon living space without the need for specialist technical solutions or specialised trades

“The one-to-one business help we had through eScalate was key to our business plan development.”