Construction
Simon Ashby, Director, Modular Pods International Ltd in Christchurch
Published: October 22, 2019 | Updated: 27th October 2023
A new Dorset company is aiming to grab a slice of a £100m market by supplying virtually complete bathroom ‘pods’.
Christchurch-based Modular Pods International Ltd claims costs can be dramatically cut with the installation of its fitted bathroom units and wetrooms.
They say the pods can also help tackle the deficit in low-cost housing by speeding up construction times.
Already commonplace in Europe, as well as sectors such as the cruise ship industry, the modular en-suite bathroom and shower pods are factory built in controlled conditions for ultimate quality and reliability.
They’re supplied with all internal finishes including tiling and sanitary ware, if specified, and delivered flat packed to the location ready for quick installation. Then it’s just a case of connecting the services and finishing with studwork.
The pods can be installed in just two days from start to finish, cutting the traditional time to install a bathroom by up to 55 per cent.
They carry a ten-year maintenance-free performance warranty and reduce onsite waste by 70 per cent, and the cost of materials by more than a third.
Mr Ashby, 55, said: “We are the only company on the South Coast which has a showroom demonstrating why offsite modular bathroom pods make sense for the construction, new build and refurbishment world.
“In the UK construction sector, everything is going modular wherever possible. There are just so many benefits.
“We’ve been a bit slow to follow our European neighbours in utilising and installing factory produced modular buildings and pod designs for modular bathrooms or kitchens.
“This is very much a 21st century phenomenon which is already commonplace in the aviation and maritime industries.
“However it lends itself very well to a variety of sectors including hotels, education and especially universities, retirement homes/assisted living, defence quarters and local government building programmes.
“It’s no coincidence that the UK government has allocated £12 billion to encourage councils to catch up with the low-cost housing crisis incorporating offsite modular design and build principles.
“Government and local authorities have woken up to the fact that this may be the smart way to try and deal with the low-cost housing deficit in this country.”
Mr Ashby, who is the founder and co-owner of Modular Pods International Ltd, has worked with other types of commercial modular products for 12 years and has more than 18 years’ experience in the international construction and manufacturing sector.
The company, which employs five people, operates from a 4,000 sq ft two-story industrial unit on the Silver Business Park in Christchurch.
It has an exclusive distribution partnership with various worldwide manufacturing partners, including in the UK, that put together ‘best in class’ high quality components for a complete bathroom or wetroom concept.
“We are a new kid on the block and a disruptor in the market place. We’ve identified a sea change in the commercial construction design and supply world and are determined to carve out our place,” said Mr Ashby.
He added: “In 2018 our OEM (original equipment manufacturer) partners sold 159,400 bathroom pods worldwide in just one year. You can see that the modular pod revolution is here to stay.”
