AIMCH wins innovation award

Stewart Milne Group, in partnership with Barratt Developments and Forster Group, won the Innovation of the Year (Transition to Net Zero) award at the Homes for Scotland Awards for its Advanced Industrialised Methods of the Construction of Homes (AIMCH) project.

Originally set up to tackle challenges within the housing sector and help meet net zero carbon targets, AIMCH is a £6.5 million, three-year, collaborative, research and development project.

The project attempts to source solutions for workforce challenges, skills shortages and low affordability.

Stewart Milne Group’s innovation and sustainability director, Stewart Dalgarno, is project director at AIMCH and recently presented a blueprint for the industry to support the delivery of quality and sustainable homes. He also led a study which showed how construction hazards can be reduced by 20%.

Stewart Milne Group revealed it is aligning its methods and processes with research from AIMCH projects. Stewart Dalgarno said, “The work AIMCH is producing is vital to the future of the property and construction industry, so to be recognised alongside our partners is extremely rewarding. This is a collaborative effort, and it reinforces the progress we can make when we can work together as an industry, with each partner bringing relevant skills and complementary knowledge to the project.

“The solutions identified so far are a real catalyst for change, encouraging developers to use modern methods and increase design standardisation in pursuit of net zero. We are continuing to source the most efficient, safe and high-quality way of doing things so we can meet buyer demand, keep people safe and reduce our carbon footprint.”

The partners in AIMCH – Stewart Milne Group, Barratt Developments PLC, L&Q, the Manufacturing Technology Centre, the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre and Forster Roofing Services Ltd – have been researching and trialling ‘near-to-market, scalable housing solutions’ for the last three years.