LJMU Test Houses

A living laboratory for the construction industry.

The full-scale test houses on our Byrom Street campus have been constructed as flexible R&D environments.

The multi-use dwellings are available for teaching and collaborative research and development. Providing an environment for industry and academia to demonstrate how the latest innovative technologies perform under realistic test-bed conditions.

Our test and demonstration houses

Exemplar test houses

Opened in partnership with the Building Research Establishment (BRE), the full-scale test houses have been constructed as flexible R&D environments. Designed and built, reflective of today’s UK housing stock. They are constructed based on building standards from the 1920s, 1970s, and 2010 and have been retrofitted with the latest low carbon solutions to enter the market.

Modular demonstration houses

Our two modular homes, Ideal Modular and the Urban Splash House, showcase the latest modern methods of construction and volumetric design.

Unlike traditionally built homes, both houses have been manufactured off-site in a factory setting and then transported in sections to their destination for assembly.

The modular homes provide a space for sharing knowledge on the latest approaches to construction, as well as demonstrating innovative new products and smart-home technologies.

Wienerberger collaboration – Renatus project and the construction of two new demonstration dwellings

Demonstrating Wienerberger’s latest property retrofit solutions which allow cost-effective improvements in energy performance and living standards.

Smartflower solar demonstrator

Smartflower, which was installed by Mole Group, uses an automated, intelligent design to produce clean, sustainable energy.

To mirror the biomechanics of sunflowers, its petals open in the morning and track the sun throughout the day to maximise absorption of light. Its unique design and functionality feature self-cleaning capability and a self-closing function in high winds.

Working with us

The LJMU Test Houses provide the perfect test bed for the development of innovative new products and processes in a real world environment. We can work with you on:

  • Product testing, data analysis and evaluation
  • Building performance monitoring including structure, materials and fabrics
  • Energy performance
  • Environmental monitoring
  • Digital scanning and modelling

To find out more about some of our research expertise visit the Built Environment and Sustainable Technologies Research Institute (BEST).

Through our Construction Skills and Knowledge Hub we can also discuss any training or skills development needs you may have. Please get in touch to find out more.

Contact us

If you would like to find out more about our work or enquire about one of our Test Houses, please email Ian Geer.