The largest temporary accommodation of its kind in the UK, Meath Court in Acton’s Hope Gardens was officially opened on 7 December 2017, providing emergency accommodation for families in our converted shipping container housing – just in time for Christmas.

After the successful installation of our shipping container housing at Marston Court, Hope Gardens is the second development that ISO Spaces have manufactured for QED Property and Ealing Council. The 60-apartment shipping container housing solution is an innovative response to the London Borough of Ealing’s housing supply problems, providing comfortable accommodation for over 280 people – some of the 2200 families in Ealing residing in temporary accommodation and potentially facing homelessness.

The shipping container housing development was created using moveable and reusable parts, repurposing shipping containers to offer a sustainable, cost-effective and flexible housing solution for Ealing Council. The shipping container homes were fully constructed, fitted and finished in 24 weeks at our factory in Cornwall, allowing the container homes to be installed quickly at Hope Gardens, with minimal additional works required on site.

With the reusability of the shipping container housing at Hope Gardens at the core of its design, this innovative model is crucial to addressing the long-term affordability and sustainability of the built environment for Ealing Council, previously placing families in housing earmarked for being knocked down, and even paying for families to stay in bed and breakfast accommodation.

Once a brownfield site, identified for long-term redevelopment in just under seven years, Hope Gardens now consists of 60 fully furnished one, two and three bedroomed container homes, a communal space, an onsite management office, laundry services and refuse storage, providing a sense of community for its new residents.

Almost twice the number of shipping container homes to the development at Marston Court, Hope Gardens is now the largest temporary accommodation development in the UK, ‘ a significant move on in terms of scale and quality’, as stated by Ealing Council leader, Julian Bell.

We’re excited and proud to confirm that the shipping container housing development has been nominated for an award in the ‘Community Benefit’ category in the 2018 RICS Awards. The awards set out to recognise the most inspirational projects and achievements of property professionals throughout London. Winners will be announced in May 2018.