calfordseaden acted as project manager and provided metering and monitoring services at Cotney Croft and Peartree Way, which have been designed to the highest sustainable credentials.

Completed in March 2011, these homes for social rent are enabling families to lead sustainable lifestyles and benefit from reduced bills, whilst providing a body of research on sustainable homes.

Selected by Stevenage Borough Council, Home Group and its multidisciplinary team have recognised that sustainability isn't just about tackling different issues in isolation but about taking a holistic approach to placemaking; ensuring that ecological, social and economic factors all combine to create a positive foundation that underpins a healthy, vibrant and happy community.

The end result is eight family homes that residents find warm, spacious and efficient, without the need to master complicated or confusing technologies. Built to meet Code for Sustainable Homes Levels Five and Six this scheme will act as a blueprint for other sustainable affordable developments. The originality of this scheme lies in its exemplar contemporary design, the desire to improve the social and economic stability of residents' lives whilst promoting a green lifestyle, and the commitment to a two-year monitoring programme. This PhD research led by calfordseaden and Anglia Ruskin includes the provision of touch screen monitors enabling residents to monitor energy generation/consumption and CO2 emissions within their homes plus the transmission of data via internet link to the project team.

The main design aim has been to concentrate on the passive design of the building, making the materials and construction techniques work as hard as possible to substantially reduce the energy consumption of the building. A 'resident first' approach has been adopted to make the buildings simple to operate and maintain. As part of the on-going involvement in the monitoring, regular meetings with the residents are being carried out so that a real understanding of living within low energy homes can be achieved to shape future design projects and also to ensure the residents get the most out of their home.

Early indications from the residents show substantial savings in energy costs, which are linked to the benefits of the integrated PV roof tiles, low energy appliances and passive building design, but are also being developed from the education and information provided by the user friendly energy monitoring interactive display.

KEY FEATURES:

Timber frame construction with excellent insulation, low U valuesand air tightness (3.6 m³/h.m²) to achieve Code 5 and 6;

Whole house mechanical ventilation with heat recovery system (MVHR);

NorDan timber/aluminium composite windows with high performance glazing;

Energy efficient light fittings and

A++ rated white goods;

Solar century C21e roof tiles(3.6 - 5.4KWp);

Underground rainwater harvesting tanks;

Permeable block paving;

Heat treated external wood cladding (Thermowood);

Materials responsibly sourced from the Green Guide;

Demolition of the existing buildings used to form the piling matt;

Mixed waste skip with the majority of materials recycled;

On-site composting.

For further information contact:

Terry Keech

at our Orpington office

T 01689 888222 

E tkeech@calfordseaden.co.uk