The first factory-made panels, being used to create the external walls of the homes, have been lifted onto site. Due to the constrained nature of the site, they are being installed in stages.
Bristol City Council’s housing development team has commissioned the erection of a row of nine one-bedroom, two-storey sustainable homes on Bell Close, Horfield. They have been designed by BDP using structural insulated panels (SIPs) supplied by Etopia.
The contractor is Beard, which has been busy craning the SIPS into place. The installation of the internal walls, floors, and roofs is also under way.
Beard started on site at the end of April 2024 and completion is anticipated in spring 2025.
BDP originally showcased its Gap House concept design at the Bristol Housing Festival Expo in 2018. It was then refined as part of an Innovate UK programme supported by the Housing Festival, designed to explore the potential for prefabricated housing.
Each Gap House is designed to be highly insulated with low energy lighting to support minimal heating requirements and will use renewable energy generated by solar panels and air source heat pumps, resulting in low running costs.
The homes just have an open-plan kitchen-living area and a bathroom on the ground floor, with a bedroom and storage on the first floor – one up, one down.
Councillor Barry Parsons, chair of Bristol City Council’s homes and housing delivery committee, said: “Utilising small pieces of brownfield land to deliver much needed affordable homes is a priority for the council and the learning from this, and other similar projects, will help us make better use of our smaller sites for affordable housing delivery.”
Adam Darby, associate architect in BDP’s Bristol studio, said: “The Gap House has the potential to bring huge benefits to cities up and down the country where there are thousands of disused garage plots sitting empty, which could be transformed into much-needed housing. Having first conceived the idea of the Gap House some years ago, it is fantastic to see the project coming to fruition and nearing the moment when people can start moving in. A once derelict site will have a new lease of life, revitalising the neighbourhood and providing high quality homes.”
![CGI of the one-up/one-down Gap houses in Bell Close, Horfield [Image credit: BDP]](https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/img-cache/562efc77865703312730d429e37f5039/320x178.75_1733211966_gap-house---street-view---credit-bdp.jpg "CGI of the one-up/one-down Gap houses in Bell Close, Horfield [Image credit: BDP]")
Matt Cooper, director of Beard’s Bristol office, said: “The Gap House design is a thoughtful way to bring back to life disused urban spaces, and could contribute to addressing the housing crisis and improving local communities. Over Beard’s 135-year history, we have been involved in many residential projects but none quite like this. Working with factory-made panels and within the limits of a small site has presented challenges that the team has embraced. It has been exciting to apply the innovative new methods to create sustainable, contemporary and affordable homes in the city.”
Andrew Tatt, head of delivery at Etopia (formerly Project Etopia), said: “The Gap House project serves as an example for councils across the country. When driving through cities and towns, you see many underused plots of land, like garage sites, which could be repurposed to help address the housing crisis and revitalise these neglected spaces. BDP, Beard, and Etopia have demonstrated that, with careful planning, these sites can be transformed effectively—not just with any buildings, but with high-quality, fabric-first constructions that incorporate the latest technology and are designed to meet future standards.”
