Quick find – List of Several Common Non-Traditional Houses UK

Non-Traditional Housing List – UK

Laing Easiform Non-Traditional Construction

Name: Laing Easiform
Type: In Situ Poured Concrete
Construction
Properties built between 1919 to 1928 have 8″ thick walls of solid no-fines clinker concrete.
Properties built between 1925 to 1945 have walls of cast in situ cavity construction with 3″ thick inner and outer leaves and a 2″ cavity, usually finished externally with stone dashed render coat.
Post 1945 (the majority of houses) cast with situ concrete walls, inner and outer leaves of 3″ thickness separated by a 2″ cavity reinforcement in both skins located in 4 horizontal bands above and below window openings.

Common Identifying Features
Line of wall lift evident in horizontal line within roof  space. 
In roof space internal face of walls aggregate not so coarse as Wimpey No-Fines construction.
Rectangular Ventilation vents through external walls is noted in many examples of this construction.

Full Article – Laing Easiform House https://nonstandardhouse.com/laing-easiform-cast-in-situ-house/

Mowlem Non-Traditional Construction

Name: Mowlem
Type: Poured In-Situ
Construction
Solid cavity wall types. A cast in situ concrete form of construction, first used in 1952 but mainly in the period 1962 to 1981. Construction substitutes mass concrete for the inner blockwork walls of traditional housing.
Solid wall types 225mm thick cast in lightweight concrete, rendered externally.
Cavity wall types with an ‘inner leaf of 100-125mm thick concrete, separated by a 2″ cavity, reinforcement in both skins located in 4 horizontal bands above and below window openings.
Common Identifying Features: None

Wimpey No-Fines Non-Traditional Construction

Name: Wimpey No-Fines
Type: Poured In-Situ
Construction – in situ cast no-fines concrete.
Before 1951 external walls were commonly 12″ thick. 
During 1951 to 1964 external walls were commonly 10″ thick. Post 1964, walls were commonly 8″ thick.
Gable walls maybe clad with a masonry outer leaf tied to the cast in situ concrete with wall ties. Up to DPC level, the external walls maybe of standard masonry construction.
Post 1964 examples of this construction can be dry lined internally and some external
surfaces of walls maybe tile faced or weather boarded.
Reinforcement commonly
incorporated at eaves level and at a level to tie in with reinforcement over ground floor door and window openings.
Common Identifying Features
Measurement of 12″ thick external walls in some properties. Coarse aggregate evident to wall face concrete
mix in roof space.
Ventilation points through external walls circular in many examples of this construction.

Airey Non-Traditional Construction

Name: Airey
Type: Precast Reinforced Concrete (PRC)
Construction
Post and panel construction. Storey height pre-cast concrete posts at 18″ centres
Incorporating steel tube reinforcement. External cladding 3′ x 9″ pre-cast concrete shiplap
panels secured to posts by copper wire fixings, panel rendered in some cases.
Common Identifying Features
‘Shiplap’ cladding panels, tile hung gable ends.

Boot PRC House Non-Traditional Construction

Name: Boot
Type: Precast Reinforced Concrete (PRC)

Construction
External walls trained in concrete piers or columns, fixed in pairs to create a cavity wall.
Inner and outer leaves formed in clinker blocks or concrete panels, plastered internally and rough cast rendered externally. Roofs pitched and often hipped with conventional tile
coverings.
Common Identifying Features
Front ground floor bay to some houses. Pattern of cracking to external rendering may reveal structure beneath.

Cornish Unit Non-Traditional Construction

Name: Cornish Unit
Type: PRC
Construction
Post and panel construction. Exposed concrete columns at 36″ to 40″ centres, carrying
concrete slabs to form the leaves of cavity walls.
Slab depths vary from 9″ to 24″ depending on type. Traditionally constructed Mansard roofs (Type I Cornish Units), although some were built with conventional hipped roofs and tile hung upper elevations. Type 2 units may have post and panel construction to upper elevations beneath a hipped roof.
Common Identifying Features
Exposed post and panel construction, Mansard roofs.

Dorran Non-Traditional Construction

Name: Dorran
Type: PRC
Construction
Storey height narrow pre-cast concrete panels rising from a kerb unit at ground level and a concrete ring beam at first floor level. Panels bolted together horizontally and backed by a Timber frame internally. Scaled externally by mortar pointing or Bitumastic Tape beneath a
textured finish.
Roofs are twin pitched and tiled often with vertical boarding or tile hanging to gable ends.
Common Identifying Features
Outward slope to first floor ring beam, vertical boarding to gable end.

Dyke Non-Traditional Construction

Name: Dyke Type: PRC 
Construction
Storey height concrete panels and columns secured by steel angle brackets. Concrete beams run from front to rear at first floor and eaves height. Cavity built walls with concrete panels forming the outer leaf and concrete slabs forming the inner leaf. Panels have an exposed aggregate finish but may be tendered throughout or to one storey only. Flipped and tiled roof.
Common Identifying Features
Panels set between columns at ground floor level and overlapping columns at first floor level creating an oversailing first floor.

Gregory Non-Traditional Construction

Name: Gregory
Type: PRC
No image available
Construction
Pre-cast concrete storey height columns, kerb units and ring beams concealed within an external cladding of concrete panels with staggered vertical joints. The Mansard first floor and roof is tiled and of traditional construction, carried oil concrete cantilever units from the ring beam.
Common Identifying Features
Mansard first floor and roof, staggered vertical joints to panels give appearance of block-work.

Myton Non-Traditional Construction

Name: Myton
Type: PRC
Construction
Storey height concrete panels rising from a concrete kerb unit with a concrete ring beam at first floor level. Wall panels dry lined internally and incorporate fibreglass insulation.
Externally raised aggregate finish with mortar pointed joints. Roofs are twin pitched either tiled or clad with asbestos cement sheeting. Gable ends are finished with asbestos cement panels.
Common Identifying Features
Gable end panels, first floor ring beam stands proud of panels.

Newland Non-Traditional Construction

Name: Newland Type: PRC
Construction
Similar to Myton (ie, based on storey height concrete panels) but with steel used for
first floor ring beam, floor joists and roof trusses. Vertical panel joints left exposed externally and concrete columns may be exposed on corners and party walls. Roofs are twin pitched with a cladding of asbestos cement sheets.
Common Identifying Features
Ground floor bay to the front elevation.

Orlit Non-Traditional Construction

Name: Orlit
Type: PRC
Construction
Storey height concrete columns with main beams spanning from front to rear. Cavity built external walls comprising an outer leaf of 4′ (or 2′) by l’4″ paving stabs and an inner leaf of concrete blocks may be rendered externally. Roofs may be of flat construction (pre-cast
concrete slabs finished with Asphalt and Bitumen) or pitched and tiled.
Common Identifying Features
PRC panels can give appearance of blockwork.

Parkinson Non-Traditional Construction

Name: Parkinson Type: PRC
Construction
Frame of concrete columns, tiled front and rear by beams at first floor and eaves
height, where there are also perimeter beams. Infill between the columns comprises 2 leaves of concrete block work with a rendered or pebble dashed finish externally.
Roofs are traditional hipped and tiled construction.
Common Identifying Features
Columns and beams visible internally.

Reema Hollow Panel Non-Traditional Construction

Name: Reema Hollow Panel
Type: PRC
Construction
Storey height large pre-cast concrete hollow panels with cast in situ concrete columns
and beams. Panels have a plain or exposed aggregate finish externally. Roofs are either
hipped or twin pitched with tiling.
Common Identifying Features
Flank wall recessed relative to gables, may have moulded cills and surrounds to window.

Schindler & Hawksley SGS Non-Traditional Construction

Name: Schindler & Hawksley SGS
Type: PRC
Construction
External cladding of brickwork concealing a structural frame of cast in situ concrete columns and ring beams, with a further beam running from front to rear. Roofs are of conventional pitched and tiled design.
Common Identifying Features
Columns and beams may be visible internally.
Traditional external appearance externally.