The Launch of WholeHouse

At the end of March 2023, Travis Perkins, the largest Builders Merchant in the UK, unveiled WholeHouse, a digital platform that enables small and medium-sized house builders to create bespoke house types on a cloud-based platform. The platform generates design and construction information that complies with continually evolving industry standards.

Along with automating design information, the platform also produces a bill of materials linked to a cost database, allowing housebuilders to price their house types and place orders through their Travis Perkins account in line with the project programme.

Over the past 18 months, SPACE Architects and Space Groups Applied Technologies team have collaborated with Travis Perkins to develop the platform. This partnership brings together housing design and software development skills unique to the space team.

SPACE's Associate Architect, Nick Craggs, who worked closely with the team at Travis Perkins, said, "Working with industry experts across all sectors of the supply chain has been hugely rewarding and it has been a pleasure to assist Travis Perkins in their endeavour to improve the house building process. As architects, we are particularly excited about the way in which WholeHouse promotes improved sustainability by reducing material waste and providing informed choices around low-carbon solutions."

The platform allows small and medium-sized housebuilders to configure their housing range without the need for an in-house technical team or the engagement of a different design team for each project. The standardisation and automation of technical and cost information will help housebuilders to be more efficient, reduce costs and mitigate risks.

Rob Charlton, Director at SPACE Architects, stated, "The company has always viewed the challenges faced by the construction industry as an opportunity for innovation. WholeHouse is a prime example of how Space has used its digital skills developed over many years to assist one of its clients in introducing something unique to the housing market."

With WholeHouse, housebuilders can now configure houses online, similar to how they would configure a car, and generate the design information needed for construction. The next phase of WholeHouse is already in development and promises to take innovation even further.