We are delighted that Northstowe House has been shortlisted for the Offsite Awards in the best use of volumetric construction category. The flagship office and exhibition space for the UK Government’s housing agency Homes England is designed to demonstrate the potential of the very latest in off-site volumetric construction methods. At the same time, it embodies its unique fenland setting, drawing on local craftsmanship techniques including coppicing and willow hurdle making - balancing preassembled, factory-produced modules with indigenous natural materials.

The 620m2 workspace is located within phase 2A of the new town of Northstowe, which will, on completion, deliver 10,000 new homes for Cambridgeshire, and for which modern methods of construction form a defining feature. As well as celebrating this, the building has been inspired by the history of the site and vernacular references, to demonstrate how modern methods of construction can be harnessed and applied in a highly contextual way, responding to local place and culture.