Blog: Sustainability winner 2018

24 September 2018

ECD Architects

Project value: £13m

Type of client: Local Authority

The Judges say... "This flagship scheme is already a catalyst for change and provides national and international reference for high-quality, large-scale refurbishment."

Wilmcote House, built in 1968, is a 11-storey residential development in Portsmouth. The structure comprised of large, poorly insulated concrete panels with pre-cast concrete elements that bridged the thermal envelope, leading to high heat losses, internal condensation risk, mould growth and low internal comfort standards. With no place to relocate the residents within these 107 units, Portsmouth City Council commissioned ECD Architects to design and deliver a regeneration scheme with residents in occupation.

Due to the size of Wilmcote House, and the number of resident’s homes which would have been disrupted, its demolition would have been complicated and expensive, but by retaining the existing building ECD Architects have improved the estate’s image and encouraged the longevity of the present community.

The retrofit of Wilmcote House extends the life of the building for a minimum of 30 years, whilst providing a sustainable approach for the estate’s regeneration.  The Wilmcote House scheme is already providing a much-needed uplift to the local area, making the positive ripple effect from this regeneration to extend much further into the wider area. This flagship scheme is already acting as a catalyst and pilot project for the remaining council’s high-rise stock.

“In this category we look for tangible improvements in performance achieved as sustainability is embedded in delivery” explains Jenny Stafford, Sustainability Consultant, Temple Group; lead judge and sponsor of the Sustainability Award.  “A flagship scheme, Wilmcote House provides a fantastic example of a sustainable low energy refurbishment and a national and international reference for delivering the stringent EnerPHit standard, the refurbishment equivalent of Passivhaus.”

Morgan Sindall will now go onto the final Constructing Excellence National Awards, held on the 16th of November, competing with category winners from other regions around the UK - we wish them and all our other winners in London and the South East the best of luck!

We will be launching the Constructing Excellence SECBE Awards 2019 shortly after the nationals on the 19th of November for works carried out this year! You can register your interest here.