A firm that pioneers sustainable housebuilding technology is celebrating its inclusion on a new framework for disruptors in the Scottish construction sector.
VASO by Eco – a construction company that manufactures structural composite panels made from recycled‑glass – has already attracted global attention for its ‘world‑first’ approach to low‑carbon construction. Now it has been selected as one of 27 organisations to be appointed to the Social Housing Emerging Disruptors (SHED) 5 Framework, a national procurement route designed to accelerate the adoption of breakthrough technologies.
Eddie Black, MD of VASO by Eco, said the framework acts as a powerful validator for new systems seeking to establish credibility. He explained, “SHED 5 gives procurement teams and architects the confidence they need to adopt new construction systems. It gets VASO by Eco in front of the right decision‑makers; the people who influence specifications and shape housing strategy.
“This inclusion is a significant milestone and opens the door to new conversations with councils, social landlords and sector leaders across Scotland.”
SHED 5 aims to remove barriers that have historically restricted new technologies from entering mainstream procurement, such as rigid, specification‑led tendering, insufficient technical reference points, and risk‑averse procurement structures.
The framework enables housing providers, councils and Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) to explore emerging solutions with greater speed and confidence than traditional procurement allows.
VASO by Eco – which sits within the framework’s energy efficiency, decarbonisation and sustainability category – was selected by PfH Scotland, a procurement services provider dedicated to the Scottish social housing sector.
Its recycled‑glass composite panels, engineered to deliver ‘exceptional’ thermal performance and durability, are said to allow homes to be built ‘rapidly and at scale’ while reducing embodied carbon.
The appointment adds to a period of momentum for VASO by Eco. Eco has invested in a new 60,000‑square‑foot manufacturing facility that will create up to 70 jobs and expand production capacity for VASO’s glass‑composite panel system.
The innovation is also being explored for community‑led housing projects in the south of Scotland and forms part of wider collaborations with universities, architects and housing bodies aimed at enabling Scotland to scale industrialised construction at speed.
Eddie said, “Being appointed to SHED 5 sends a clear signal that the UK is ready to embrace new ways of building. VASO was created to tackle the biggest challenges facing housing today – speed, sustainability and affordability – and this framework gives partners across the country a trusted route to deploy those solutions at scale.”
