Crofts House wins fourth major award of 2026 as rural net-zero housing model gains national recognition

Sandford, Devon — Crofts House, the pioneering affordable housing development delivered by ZED PODS in partnership with Mid Devon District Council (MDDC), has secured its fourth major industry award of 2026, cementing its status as a national exemplar for sustainable, affordable housing on constrained rural sites.

The scheme has now been recognised across four separate awards programmes this year:

🥇 Neighbourhood Transformation at Aico Community Awards 2026

🥇 Sustainability & Circular Construction at Industrialised Construction Awards 2026

🥇 MMC Project of the Year at Construction News Awards 2026

🥇 Residential Project of the Year at Construction Excellence Southwest Awards 2026

Judges described the project as "game-changing" and "a pioneering example of sustainable housing innovation for challenging rural sites."

From contaminated garage court to energy-positive homes

Crofts House transformed an underused, council-owned contaminated garage court in the village of Sandford, near Crediton, into five high-quality, zero-operational-carbon social rent homes. It is the first rural, high-impact, zero-operational-carbon housing project in the district — and a flagship demonstration of how precision-engineered Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) can address acute housing need rapidly, sustainably, and with strong community backing.

Comprising four single-storey and one two-storey one-bedroom homes, all built to National Described Space Standards, the development welcomed its first tenants in 2025. Every unit achieved an EPC A rating, and the scheme as a whole is net-zero in operation — generating more renewable energy each year than the homes consume.

Delivered on programme and within budget, the project was completed with 100% resident satisfaction and zero reportable health and safety incidents, evidencing the controlled, risk-managed nature of MMC delivery.

Built off-site, installed in days

The homes were manufactured off-site as Category 1 volumetric MMC modules, built to ±3mm tolerances in a BOPAS-, B Corp- and ISO 9001-certified factory in Peterborough, with over 80% Pre-Manufactured Value achieved before the modules ever reached site. Each module arrived roughly 80% complete, with all mechanical, electrical, plumbing systems, finishes and renewable technologies pre-installed.

Ten modules were delivered through narrow village lanes — some as tight as 3.7 to 4.9 metres wide — and craned into place in just two days. By running off-site manufacture and on-site groundworks in parallel, the team cut the programme by around 50%, achieving completion roughly twice as fast as comparable traditional construction while minimising disruption to neighbouring properties.

An ISO 19650-aligned digital "Golden Thread" — a first of its kind in the district — underpinned the whole process, with full Stage 3 coordination completed before manufacture to eliminate clashes, reduce rework and create an audit-ready digital asset record for MDDC. Each module carries a QR code linking to its digital record for long-term asset management.

Verified environmental performance

Crofts House was designed fabric-first, pairing a high-performance envelope with renewables. Independent testing confirmed near-Passivhaus airtightness of 1.50–1.63 m³/h/m² at 50Pa — more than 80% better than the national compliance level of 5 m³/h/m² — achieved through alu-clad triple glazing with a 60-year design life, non-combustible stone-wool insulation and breathable wall construction. Each home integrates an air-source heat pump, Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) and roof-mounted photovoltaics.

The independently verified environmental outcomes include:

• 425 kgCO₂e/m² embodied carbon — 47% below RIBA 2025 targets

• 31 kWh/m²/year regulated energy demand — below RIBA 2030 benchmarks

• 13,500+ kWh of renewable electricity generated on-site each year

• 11 tonnes of CO₂ saved annually

• 160,020 litres of water saved each year

Post-completion, IoT-linked environmental sensors continuously monitor humidity and air quality in real time, allowing MDDC to intervene early and prevent damp, mould or moisture build-up before issues escalate.

Social value at the heart of delivery

A distinctive feature of Crofts House is its integration with the Prisoners Building Homes (PBH) programme — a Ministry of Justice-supported scheme that enables day-release prisoners to gain skills and work experience in modular construction at ZED PODS' Peterborough factory. Five day-release participants worked on the Crofts House build, a cohort that has seen a re-offending rate of under 1%, compared with a national average of 30–50%, generating an estimated £592,000 in savings to UK taxpayers through reduced recidivism.

Assessed using HM Treasury Green Book principles, the scheme achieved a Benefit-Cost Ratio of 5.53:1, generating £6.8 million in net social value across its life-cycle. At a net delivery cost of £3,321/m², Crofts House came in substantially below the cost of comparable traditional EPC B builds (£3,724/m² in Bristol and £4,607/m² in Devon), while achieving EPC A, zero-carbon performance. The project was supported by £100,000 from the Brownfield Land Release Fund and £506,305 from the Affordable Homes Programme, with funding from Homes England and One Public Estate.

Waste was designed out from the start. Where traditional construction can send nearly 25% of material to skips and landfill, off-site factory manufacture allowed unused materials to be managed in controlled loops — packaging returned to manufacturers for reuse, Rockwool offcuts recycled into new batches, and BIM-led quantity take-offs preventing over-ordering.

What people are saying

Tom Northway, Chairman of ZED PODS Ltd, said: 

"We're incredibly proud of this achievement, which further strengthens our long-standing partnership with Mid Devon District Council. Crofts House continues to demonstrate what can be achieved through collaboration, innovation and a shared commitment to excellence. The judges described the project as 'game-changing' and 'a pioneering example of sustainable housing innovation for challenging rural sites.' Their recognition reinforces that, by working together, we can unlock constrained rural sites and deliver high-quality, zero-operational carbon affordable homes that make a lasting difference to local communities."

Councillor Jane Lock, Cabinet Member for Housing, Assets & Property Services at Mid Devon District Council, said: "

This is a brilliant example of high-quality rural housing delivery, designed from the outset to meet local housing need and demonstrate how we can help sustain our village communities. A huge well done to everyone involved in delivering the project, and to those whose day-to-day work now supports our tenants in their fantastic, truly affordable new homes."

For the tenants, the difference is felt day to day. As one resident, Miss Barden, put it:

"I love it here, the flat is lovely. I moved in and feel settled… The best thing about living here is the peace and quiet. Moving here has improved my life. Even my spider plants are thriving."

To find out more about Crofts House and ZED PODS' approach to sustainable, affordable housing, visit Croft House Project Page