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New Case Studies

New build

Alpine Close, Maidenhead, Berkshire

This is a recent example of innovative social housing - Alpine Close in Maidenhead, Berkshire. It examines the environmental, design and construction aspects of the project and provides information and inspiration to housing associations, local authorities and designers. The scheme met Energy Efficiency Best Practice in Housing's (EEBPH) Best Practice Specification.

The scheme is on a brownfield site in the centre of Maidenhead. It was originally a car park with concrete garages, the majority of which were no longer in use. The site is ideally located for housing, being only five minutes walk from a railway station and ten minutes walk from the town centre.
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/housingbuildings/casestudies/index.cfm?

Peabody Trust. Bedzed - Beddington Zero Energy Development , LB Sutton
Located in the London Borough of Sutton, the Beddington Zero-Energy Development (BedZED) is a joint initiative of the Peabody Trust and BioRegional Development Group. This pioneering development produces no net carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from energy use and meets a range of environmental, social and economic targets.
http://www.peabody.org.uk/pages/GetPage.aspx?id=179

Gallions Housing Association. Thamesmeade Ecopark
This EST Case Study is one of the most comprehensive exemplars of low carbon homes which is easily available. Ecopark is part of the Section 106 affordable housing element of the Gallion's Reach Urban Village's third phase. It is a development of 39 two-, three- and four-bedroom houses for rent. The four main house types are set out in separate blocks, each incorporating different combinations of features. This enabled the Association to use monitoring and tenant satisfaction surveys to make comparisons. The aim was to show that energy efficient sustainable housing need not be high-tech and can be built within commercially realistic budgets. The houses achieved an EcoHomes Excellent rating and a SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) rating of 100
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/uploads/documents/housingbuildings
http://www.gallionsecopark.co.uk/files/suppliers.doc

Moreover, the Gallions Ecopark web site is a major resource which includes the ongoing monitoring of the performance of the houses. The Ecopark includes a Visitor Centre which is a key part of the Association's Housing Corporation supported dissemination programme.
http://www.gallionsecopark.co.uk/home.htm

Countryside Maritime Ltd. The Fishing Village, Chatham Maritime, Kent
The Fishing Village at St Mary's Island near Chatham in Kent has been built and developed by Countryside Maritime Ltd (CML), a joint venture between Countryside Properties Plc and the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA). CML set very high requirements for the concept architects(PCKO), which included the incorporation of high standards of energy efficiency and solar hot water systems where possible. Countryside Properties and SEEDA are also committed to broader sustainable development and all the houses at the Fishing Village received EcoHomes ratings of 'Good'. Properties on a nearby site have since received EcoHomes ratings of 'Very Good'.

The detailed case study can be found in Energy Savings Trust (2003) Energy Efficiency Best Practice in Housing Renewable Energy in Housing. CE 28
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/housingbuildings/casestudies/index.cfm?

Crest Nicholson and BioRegional Quintain. One Brighton - New England QuarterThis project is part of the Brighton's New England Quarter, which is nearing completion of former railway land adjacent to Brighton Station.

It is a development of 1 and 2 bed-roomed apartments, designed to create a sustainable lifestyle.
http://www.onebrighton.co.uk/?gclid=CPH3zazbsZECFQIcZwodLTmFNg

Ecos Homes: Great Bow Yard, Langport, Somerset
Great Bow Yard is a development of 12 newly built eco-homes which build these houses to the highest environmental standards whilst still making a profit.
http://www.ecoshomes.co.uk/ourprojects.html

Great Bow Yard has been featured in a short film put together by the National Housing Federation. The film outlines how the Government should compel private developers to build to the same environmental standards, and timetable, as housing associations. http://www.ecoshomes.co.uk/movie.html

When you have seen the film you can get the detail from the book Great Bow Yard: Anatomy of an Eco Build. This is a record of the whole building process from the initial concept to the finished, award-winning houses and flats.

The book can be obtained by contacting Ecostrust on 01458 259400 or email Ecostrust.
http://www.ecostrust.org.uk/publications.html

Building Research Establishment
The BRE Group is a world leading research, consultancy, training, testing, and certification organisation delivering sustainability and innovation in the built environment.
http://www.bre.co.uk

The BRE Innovation Park in Watford includes a range of full scale MMC houses planned in the context of the Code for Sustainable Homes. There is a facility for organised visits to see these exemplar houses.
http://www.bre.co.uk/page.jsp?id=956

Barratt Homes Green House
The Green House is intended to be the first UK house suitable for volume production that meets the Zero Carbon standards.
http://www.bre.co.uk/page.jsp?id=1221

Hanson Ecohouse
A three bed dwelling aiming to achieve Code Level 4.
http://www.bre.co.uk/page.jsp?id=958 See also Hanson Home 2 http://www.hanson.co.uk/713/offsite2007.html

Kingspan Lighthouse
A net-zero 2 ½ storey two bedroom house with highest standard energy efficiency combined with integrated renewable technologies.
http://www.bre.co.uk/page.jsp?id=959

Osbourne Demonstration House
This house was constructed in 1½ days using the Jabhouse Structural Insulated Panel System It exceeds Building regulations Part L requirements for carbon emissions by 40% - equivalent to Code Level 4 requirements.- and has been awarded Ecohomes ‘excellent ‘ rating.
http://www.bre.co.uk/page.jsp?id=695

Stewart Milne Group Sigma Home
The timber frame manufacturers Stewart Milne Group have constructed two 4 storey homes on the Park. The aim is to achieve commercially viable Code Level 5 houses.
http://www.bre.co.uk/page.jsp?id=960

Energy Savings Trust
The Energy Saving Trust is a non-profit organisation, funded both by government and the private sector. Its aim is to cut emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) by promoting the sustainable and efficient use of energy. The organisation provides free and impartial information and advice and has a network of advice centres in the UK specifically designed to help people take action.

This is the most useful site for information on low carbon housing, providing ‘state of the art' guidance on energy efficiency good practice in new build, extensions, conversions and refurbishment.
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/resources/case_studies#resources/case_studies

Energy Efficiency is best
Here is a full list of the downloadable technical guides, which provides advice on all areas of new-build and refurbishment. Many of the technical guides include whole house and/or whole development case studies and access to further contacts and information. Some of the most useful guides, with direct links, are listed below.
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/uploads/documents/housingbuildings/

Best Practice in new housing - a practical guide. May 2005
This guide provides straightforward specifications for building energy efficient homes, with different options for achieving best practice and recommendations for a range of dwelling types.
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/uploads/documents/housingbuildings/ce95.pdf

Building energy efficient buildings using modern methods of construction CE 139
This guide summarises the main forms of modern methods, highlighting thermal performance and provides a variety of case studies ranging from a single detached dwelling to a 300 unit estate.
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/uploads/documents/housingbuildings/

English Partnerships
English Partnerships has a portfolio of strategic sites comprising some 6,000 hectares of land. EP remediates sites and develops new communities across the country. Two programmes are developing exemplars of Low Carbon Homes: the Millennium Communities Programme and the Carbon Challenge.

Millennium Communities Programme
The Millennium Communities Programme was set up by English Partnerships in conjunction with Communities and Local Government (CLG) to create seven exemplar sustainable communities across the UK.
http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/millcomms.htm

The programme was developed to deliver over 9,000 EcoHome Excellent standard homes, providing exemplar homes and communities for both the development industry and homebuyers. Over 1,200 homes have been completed to date with a further 1,000 under construction.

Developers are required to meet specific high standards in

Standards are updated with each new development agreement as the programme moves forward. From April 2008 all developments will have to meet Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3 as a minimum.

Greenwich Millennium Village, London
Allerton Bywater Millennium Community, near Leeds
New Islington Millennium Community, Manchester
South Lynn Millennium Community, King's Lynn
Telford Millennium Community
Oakgrove Millennium Community, Milton Keynes
Hastings Millennium Community

The Carbon Challenge
The aim of the Carbon Challenge is to accelerate the house-building industry's response to climate change It is being delivered by English Partnerships on behalf of the Department of Communities and Local Government. http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/carbonchallenge.htm

The Challenge aims to fast-track the creation of a number of new communities designed to meet Code for Sustainable Homes Level 6. The Challenge will assist house-builders to develop the necessary skills and technology applications and will act as a testing ground for the Code for Sustainable Homes and the new Planning Policy Statement on Climate Change.

English Partnerships has developed a detailed Carbon Challenge Generic Brief which describes the issues and standards that all the Carbon Challenge sites will achieve in delivering housing that meets Code for Sustainable Homes level 6 whilst maintaining high design and build quality. Published August 2007
Carbon Challenge standard brief - PDF (376 KB)

The Carbon Challenge Factsheet gives details of the Challenge's objectives and what is meant by zero carbon development.
The Carbon Challenge factsheet - PDF (584 KB)

Progress to date

English Partnerships is bringing forward a number of sites. Each will have their own set of briefing documents which sit alongside the Carbon Challenge Generic brief and which will detail unique local requirements such as affordability and planning issues.

Hanham Hall, near Bristol is English Partnerships' first Carbon Challenge site. Barratt Development Plc were appointed preferred developer, working with HTA, ARUP, Kingspan Offsite and Sovereign Housing Group. This winning bid can be downloaded.
http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/carbonchallenge.htm

It is anticipated that the development will be completed in 2010.

Kingspan offsite case studies
http://www.kingspanoffsite.com/kingspan/case_study/market/housing

The Tree House - code level 5
http://www.nher.co.uk/documents/zero_carbon_blog/low_carbon_case_study_01.pdf

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Seeda Government Office for the South EastSouth East England Regional Assembly