Sustainability & Building Physics

Constructed from pre-fabricated structural insulated panels with high performance timber windows and insulated doors, all the homes are highly energy efficient – designed to allow residents to reduce their carbon footprint by 60% without any lifestyle changes. External shutters, the thermal mass of the ground floor slabs and wall linings, together with night-time mechanical ventilation, keep the buildings cool in summer. Rainwater harvesting provides enough water to supply the washing machines and WCs, helping to reduce potable water use to 80 litres per person per day, while bike and recycling storage in each unit encourages residents to adopt a greener way of life.

All homes achieve the ‘Zero-Carbon’ standard and well outperform the building regulations.The zero carbon standard is achieved by using a very efficient building envelope constructed using Kingspan TEK Structural Insulated Panels (SiPs) and roof-mounted photovoltaics. Each home will have a Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery system and a minimal heating system. Because of the high insulation levels the need for space heating is much reduced. The Hall, which is a Grade 2* listed building, has been refurbished to a BREEAM standard. The external works are designed in accordance with the CEEQUAL standard. The homes are designed to avoid overheating and use manually-operated shutters to give residents control over their comfort, daylight and security. The homes also meet the Lifetime Homes and the Building for Life standard.

The decision to utilise SIPs across the Hanham Hall development led to considerable benefits compared with a standard onsite masonry approach. As the panels are pre-cut to match the precise design requirements, deliveries of the panels are reliably scheduled weeks in advance to fit around other site work. The erections were carried out by a small team of highly trained installers, helping to reduce health and safety concerns, whilst the accurate, lightweight panel design meant the outer shells of even the larger homes could be constructed within a couple of weeks. Furthermore, completion dates are reliably predicted as no time was lost waiting for wet trades to dry. Once the shells were wrapped with a breathable membrane, they were weather tight, allowing follow-on trades to begin work at a much earlier stage than a traditional onsite approach would allow.

The scheme has been assessed and ratified against zero carbon energy targets and methodology from the Zero Carbon Hub. High efficiency gas boilers and PV panels were used to reduce annual energy bills significantly, and all other aspects of the development, such as controlling CO2 Emissions, water saving measures, sustainable sourcing of materials, health and wellbeing, security and providing a species rich ecological environment have been completed to Code 6 levels.