As Western Australia continues to fall short of meeting national housing targets, Summit Homes Group has turned to modern methods of construction to boost speed of delivery.
In a company first, Summit Developments has delivered seven double storey townhouses in just eight months in the south-eastern suburb of Hilbert using fully framed construction fabricated through Summit’s own steel manufacturing facility at Backbone Steel in Myaree.
Designed and built as part of a ‘build to rent’ initiative in partnership with major developer Stockland, the development showcases what is possible through innovative planning, efficient design and modern methods of construction.
“To achieve this result we leveraged Summit’s vertically integrated model with our directly employed and highly skilled trade team completing the majority of the build from framing and cladding through to internal linings,” said Summit Homes Group, Group General Manager Cameron Lade.
“Traditional double brick townhouse construction typically takes around 18 months, this fully framed approach has allowed us to halve the build time without compromising on quality, aesthetics or compliance,” added Mr Lade.
Showcasing Summit Homes Group’s ability to deliver projects on scale, this enviable timeframe was achieved through modern methods of construction including steel framing fabricated in house to precise specification and lightweight cladding systems supplied in partnership with HVG Decorative Building featuring Linea Groove and Stratum Horizontal for a contemporary façade.
Despite a compact lot area of 860sqm, the Summit Developments design team was able to deliver two bedroom, two storey townhouses, each on 120sqm lots, ideally suited to Perth’s growing build to rent market. Zoning allowed for seven townhouses, maximizing yield and demonstrating strong development efficiency for the client. Each home features a considered layout that balances livability with affordability.
Throughout the project some learnings emerged including developing compliant and effective systems for fire-rated boundary walls. In addition to this, careful consideration was needed for running plumbing and electrical services through the framed second storey flooring system, which has informed refined detailing for future builds.
“This project showcases Summit’s growing capability in modern methods of construction and demonstrates how vertical integration enables faster, more affordable and higher quality housing solutions,” Mr Lade said.
“Following the success of this development, we are now scaling up our framed construction capability to deliver both single and double storey projects using the same efficient methodology,” added Mr Lade.
As acceptance of alternative building methods grows, this project positions Summit Homes Group at the forefront of innovation, efficiency and quality in Perth’s residential development market, leading the way to help solving the housing crisis in Western Australia.
