Houses delivered in double quick time in Ballyvolane thanks to novel build approach

A blend of precision offsite manufacturing and efficient onsite assembly is more than halving the house build timeframe at Longview 

Delivery of timber frames to Longview housing development in Ballyvolane. The offsite manufacturing of the frames by Cygnum is helping to shave weeks off the build process.

HOUSES are being delivered in less than half the time it normally takes at a Ballyvolane housing development thanks to an innovative and pilot approach.

The accelerated pilot build programme is at Longview, where more than 700 new homes — a mix of social and private housing — are in the pipeline, with an average of 12 units delivered per month.

The Build to Innovate programme, managed by Enterprise Ireland, under the Government’s Housing for All strategy, has slashed the typical time frame from floor slab to substantial completion from approximately 24 weeks to as little as nine weeks, in best-case scenarios.

The approach also offers a a reduced carbon footprint compared to traditional masonry construction, as timber frame construction lowers embodied carbon by reducing reliance on high-energy materials such as concrete and steel, while also storing carbon naturally.

The use of insulated Raft Therm foundation systems further reduces concrete use by up to 60% and limits heat loss at ground level, supporting strong long-term energy performance. Together, these methods cut waste, reduce on-site emissions, and help deliver more sustainable homes over their full lifecycle.

Earlier this week, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the project “demonstrates the potential of modern methods of construction to deliver homes faster, more efficiently, and with the highest standards of quality”.

“It’s great to see this innovation happening here in Cork, led by an Irish company with a strong track record in the sector,” he said.

Neil Kerrigan, Housing Delivery Unit Enterprise Ireland, An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, John Crean, Director of Planning, Longview Estates and Patrick Crowley, CEO, CField Construction at Longview. Picture: Darragh Kane

The company in question is CField Construction, an early adopter of factory-style on-site processes and offsite construction techniques.

Through the Built to Innovate approach, the company has integrated its production schedule with the offsite manufacture of timber frame kits — produced by Cygnum — creating a fully synchronised workflow from foundation to home completion.

The Cygnum facility in Macroom.

Time frame assembly at the Cygnum plant

CField Construction CEO Patrick Crowley said the initiative — combining precision offsite manufacturing with efficient on-site assembly at Longview — was “proof that innovation in construction can have a real and immediate impact on housing supply”.

The government is feverishly examining ways to expedite housing delivery as the shortage of housing continues to dominate the political agenda.

Its new housing plan is due to go to Cabinet next week and the challenge is to deliver at least 300,000 in the next five years, according to housing minister James Browne.

The Longview development is being delivered by Longview Estates, a Cork-based developer with a strong record in energy efficient, sustainable projects.