Hanse Haus was founded over 85 years ago back in 1929, by Carpenter Herrmann Wandke, initially as a joinery workshop, which quickly grew to a regionwide house construction company. Since then, the firm has matured into one of Europe’s largest premium suppliers of turnkey, pre-manufactured, super high efficiency homes. It now erects some 400 homes annually Europe-wide and boasts more than 30,000 completed homes.
Having tested the waters in Ireland in 2004, Hanse Haus set its sights on the UK market. Recognising an increased demand for bespoke, timber frame homes, the company shortly branched out into the UK in 2008. Despite closing the market in Ireland soon after this, aside from the UK, the company’s current markets are Germany, Switzerland, northern Italy, Austria and Luxembourg.
With Germany having reappraised offsite manufactured housing as an upmarket option some 20 years ago, Hanse Haus anticipated this change was to soon to take place in the UK as well. Following opening the market in the UK, and with increased publicity and a change of mindset towards pre-manufactured homes over the past ten years, the UK’s adoption has been unprecedented and is forecast to grow further in the future.
With changing government regulations and the shifting focus from traditional brick and mortar construction to sustainable pre-manufactured alternatives, Hanse Haus has positioned itself as prominent authoritative voice during recent government discussions on the future of UK housing. The company prides itself on offering a new, environmentally sound and efficient alternative able to play a key part in rectifying the UK’s housing crisis.
Credited as a pioneer in the industry, Hanse Haus itself lobbies the UK government, via the company’s industry interest group NACSBA, to grow the self-build market as one solution to the pressing UK housing crisis. Recently, there has been considerable success in this area, as government have recently loosened self-build regulations. Hanse Haus is therefore anticipating a further increase in momentum within sustainable self-building across the country.
However, the one thing the company has noted is the remaining challenge of land availability, which links to planning policy. It also feels the UK has catching up to do on the technical certification of timber construction. Without doubt, the company will look to be at the forefront of ongoing discussions on this topic. In fact, Hanse Haus leads the way as, to its knowledge, the first German package builder to achieve BBA certification. Moreover, the company has won the support of several UK housing warranty providers which is another major indication of changing attitudes towards pre-manufactured homes.
In the coming years, Hanse Haus will look to further expand within the UK. This will involve a short-term plan of investment into the self-build market, and a medium-term plan of knowledge-transfer from Germany to UK-based site personnel, to increase capacity and lower prices.
Oliver Grimshaw, Head of UK Sales, Hanse Haus GmbH
Oliver Grimshaw is the Head of UK Sales for premium German supplier of pre-manufactured, high-efficiency homes. Founded back in 1929, Hanse Haus now erects some 400 homes annually Europe-wide and has been active in the UK since 2006.
With over 85 years’ experience in the construction industry and boasting more than 30,000 completed homes, the company is also a certified builder of the remarkable Passivhaus; a home that loses almost no heat through its walls, roof and windows, thanks to extremely high levels of thermal insulation.
