Our Innovation

We invest significantly in research and development, to anticipate and shape future house building needs and trends.

Our research and development team work to understand market, business efficiency and regulatory needs – both today and tomorrow – and then create homes and communities that meet them.

We have a track record of leading high profile, government backed and award winning collaborative R&D innovation projects, focused on low energy building fabric solutions, net zero carbon homes and technologies, offsite manufacturing, digital working, BIM, modern methods of construction, energy provision and design standardisation.

Through game changing innovation projects such as AIMC4 and AIMCH, we have worked collaboratively with other developers, research agencies and our supply chain to develop industry leading solutions, that are viable, efficient, and scalable for mainstream housing developments.

Our latest innovation project is Home to Grid. This will bring about the first NZC development with a community smart grid and battery storage, that removes fossil fuels from our homes, generating  and storing renewable green energy for homes and vehicles.

Our Innovation Achievements

Homes For Scotland  - Innovation of the Year, Transition to Net Zero

In 2022, after three years of research, innovations and prototyping to mainstream offsite construction, AIMCH partners Stewart Milne Group, Barratt Developments plc and Forster Group Ltd have been awarded the Innovation of the Year (Transition to Net Zero) accolade at the Homes for Scotland Awards.

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."

Sigma Home – UK’s First Code Level 5, Near zero Carbon Home

In 2007, we designed, built, and tested the UK’s first Code Level 5, near zero carbon home, the award winning Sigma Home, at the BRE Innovation Park, Watford. This was a major commitment to better understand the long term shift towards new zero carbon homes, so we are well placed to respond.

AIMC4 – Award Winning, Fabric First Low Energy Homes

In 2015, through AIMC4 and working with our supply chain partner, we were central to developing the award-winning, BOPAS and BBA approved, closed panel Sigma® II Build System is the robust and effective solution to achieving high levels of fabric performance.  This system won the Housebuilder HBF 2020 Product Award for ‘Best Building Fabric Product’. AIMC4 was a unique partnership of companies, created to research, develop, and pioneer the volume production of the low carbon homes for the future.

AIMCH – UK’s Flagship Housing Industrialisation Project

More recently in 2021, we are lead partner on the current AIMCH project which aims to tackle all the challenges the housing sector currently faces; skills shortages, an ageing workforce, poor productivity, low output and low affordability, through Housing Industrialisation. Part funded by Innovate UK, this government flagship innovation project, is delivering significant results, which will transform how homes are built in the future. Read about AIMCH in full details on their website.