Firm planning ‘first 3D-printed housing development’ enters liquidation

A company planning what it claimed would be the UK’s first 3D-printed housing development has filed for liquidation.

Building for Humanity, a not-for-profit social housing developer that planned to primarily use 3D-printed concrete on its projects, announced plans to build 46 homes in Accrington, Lancashire, in 2022.

An application for its Charter Street scheme – a 100 per cent affordable, zero-carbon housing project including community areas and gardens – was approved by Hyndburn Council in July 2024 with work due to begin this year.

The company said it would have been the largest development of its kind in Europe.

Founder Scott Moon added in a statement in 2022 that the company’s model was “to create a charitable housing institute that is driven by human fulfilment and wellbeing rather than profit”.

He added: “Ultimately, this development is about so much more than housing. It is about people and giving them the opportunity to thrive.”

But the firm appointed receivers in May, and went into voluntary liquidation earlier this month, with Opus Restructuring appointed to handle its affairs.

The company, which had offices in Accrington and Cornwall, was incorporated in 2017, and remained too small to be required to publish detailed accounts.

A document published at Companies House outlining its affairs as it entered liquidation showed it owed more than £1.4m to creditors, with just over £105,000 available to be paid back from its assets.

It owed HMRC more than £730,000, but liquidators at Opus expect less than £80,000 of tax will be recouped, after cash owed to employees has been paid first.

A total of £213,872 is owed to 63 trade creditors, while one non-trade creditor, consultancy Carbon247, is owed £250,000.

Hyndburn Council is owed more than £1,000 by the company.

Material engineering company Versarien was due to serve as “print partner” on the Accrington project, on a contract worth £200,000.

It said in a market statement on Thursday (19 June) that it had invoiced for £3,600 of work to date, and that the amount remained outstanding.

The two directors of Building for Humanity – Iain Hulse and Scott Moon – incorporated a new business at Companies House last month called Building for Humanity (Group) Community Interest Company.

It is based at the same registered office that Building for Humanity CIC was registered at prior to liquidation.

Calls and emails to Building for Humanity by Construction News have gone unanswered.

Opus Restructuring has been approached for comment.