A Mid-Wales firm has seen its modular timber dwelling appear on TV show Grand Designs.
Unnos Systems collaborated on a feature home in Southwater, West Sussex.
Presenter Kevin McCloud said:
“It’s all about containing costs – having it prefabricated in a factory in Wales, brought in on lorries, costing exactly what you thought it would. That is the future of Grand Designs. It’s the future of self-build.”
Each home from Unnos Systems is crafted in a controlled factory environment, where every component is protected from the elements and built at ground level. The firm says the technique ensures quality, safety, and precision that is very difficult to achieve through traditional construction sites.
For the Southwater project, five fully finished volumetric modules were fully manufactured at Unnos Systems’ warehouse over a number of months, and installed in one day.
The firm said the approach accelerates delivery by more than 50% compared with traditional construction and enables groundwork and superstructure build to progress simultaneously. Once the modules arrive, the near-complete home lands on a clean, finished site.
Kenton Jones, Founder, Unnos Systems said:
“When our buildings leave the factory, they’re fully protected and have never seen rain in any of the layers. The precision and quality from a factory environment is very difficult to achieve on a site build.”
Every project is built from local sustainably managed timber which is seasoned in a biochar-powered kiln. This closed-loop process locks carbon into biochar while using timber waste from previous production to power the plant.
Combined with passive-level airtightness, MVHR ventilation, and the option for solar and battery integration, Unnos homes achieve exceptional energy efficiency and near self-sufficiency, the firm said.
“We’re proving that high performance and low impact can coexist — that sustainable timber buildings can be stronger, lighter, and far more efficient than masonry alternatives.” said Kenton.
Unnos Systems’ story began over four decades ago in a small workshop above a cowshed on the Jones family farm in Mid Wales. The company first became known for fine joinery, bespoke furniture, and a royal commission at Highgrove House for the then Prince of Wales.
Partnerships with Coed Cymru and the Welsh School of Architecture followed, leading to the development of engineered Welsh timber systems and ultimately, to Unnos Systems’ award-winning modular housing innovations.
