Mayor of Limerick, John Moran, has launched the display of two cutting-edge modular housing prototypes at Arthur’s Quay Park as the concept of SMART Housing continues to progress.
The prototypes are part of an initiative championed in the More for Limerick Mayoral Programme 2024-2029.
Providing modular housing solutions is already being used as a conventional approach to housing delivery across Europe and the UK, with Limerick now leading the way in Ireland.
SMART (Short-term Modular Affordable Rental Transition) is intended to accelerate the delivery of affordable, high-quality rental homes for the thousands of workers and individuals who are finding difficulty accessing the private rental market.
The modular homes are designed for 1-2 person households, who currently represent over half of Limerick’s housing need. Each individual pre-fabricated 3D home is intended to be combined with a number of others to provide 3-4 storey apartment buildings.
The prototypes used for this demonstrator project were built using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), were assembled and fitted out in one month offsite and are installed over a number of days.
The units are fully compliant and have a 60-year design life, matching traditional builds in both durability and safety.
The exhibition at Arthur's Quay Park aims to get feedback from the people of Limerick and show the potential to deliver modular housing as a scalable, cost-effective solution.
Mayor of Limerick, John Moran, commented:
“We all recognise we’re in a terrible housing crisis in Ireland, which is of course particularly acute in Limerick. Simply put, for years, we’ve been delivering much needed housing at too slow a pace. One of the key solutions to this crisis is building the homes that we need. This means the right housing for each cohort of need, not a one size fits all solution which has not visibly worked. This solution is targeted to those in need of affordable rental homes. They are willing to pay for themselves. That’s why solutions like this are such an important part of the delivery of the More for Limerick Mayoral Programme. This is about actioning delivery on much more flexible and cheaper rental supply.”
The Mayor added:
“We are seeing too few new and second-hand homes for sale for those who want to buy. So prices have soared. While we continue to push more affordable homes for people to buy permanently, those waiting still need to live somewhere and want to rent, as do people who do not want to buy. This innovation allows us to continue to deliver social housing and push for new homes to be purchased, while adding a new solution – a large public sector driven affordable rental supply.”
Members of the public are invited to give their views on whether they would choose to live in:
- A less expensive 23 m² home, with an additional 6m² area which, when placed with other units of its own size will form a common facilities area for renters to enjoy.
- A 32 m² self-contained home, which naturally comes with a higher price tag.
People will have an opportunity to make their view heard on their preferences, both on site at Arthur’s Quay Park and via an online survey at www.limerick.ie/smart-housing.
The SMART Housing model, of which these unit are a part, is designed to:
- Target unmet demand: Prioritising 1–2 person households, helping provide residents of Limerick with a home to rent.
- Deliver affordability: With rents significantly below current market rates.
- Maximise land use: Initially deployable on council-owned, zoned sites near employment, education, and transport hubs but with the potential to be developed in partnership with major employers in Limerick.
- Support economic growth: Helping employers attract and retain talent by providing stable, affordable housing options.
The proposed solution involves a public sector managed portfolio of apartments in centrally located sites. There is an advantage of speed of delivery, but also by choosing locations close to work or public transport, household income is improved by the options not just to pay less rent, but to live in a non-car dependent location.
Those interested in viewing the prototypes can do so in person on the following dates:
- 5th – 13th September (closed on Sunday, 7th September)
- Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 8th September to 31st October
- Opening Hours:
- Weekdays: 12pm - 6pm
- Saturdays: 12pm - 4pm
Staff working on the project will also aim to conduct in-person interviews to gather feedback.
The modular homes will remain on display at Arthur’s Quay Park for members of the public to view for a duration of eight weeks.