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Sustainability has always been and always will be one of the main driving forces in timber frame construction so we try to embrace every opportunity that allows us to use the most sustainable products with the most sustainable processes. All of our material is from certified sources with full chain of custody. Also, due to the government regulations for building sustainable homes we promote the use of natural building materials for insulation and for structural boards etc. The Code for Sustainable Homes is now fully enforced against which we try to help our clients as best we can achieve the code level they are aiming for.
Passivhaus design is also a sustainable method of construction that falls naturally into meeting the code for sustainable homes standards. Passivhaus is a design description for building designs that utilise passive gains e.g. the façade of the building that has the most daily exposure to the sun is mostly glazed with the rest of the building having only a small amount of glazing. This utilises the solar gain (sunlight), through the main façade glazing that will pass through the building and create sufficient heat for the heating of the building. The rest of the glazing to the building is kept to a minimum to reduce the risk of any of the solar gain being lost through the windows. The efficiency of the utilities and the use of water are also major factors in these sustainable designs as the idea is to expend as little waste energy as possible. A+ rated white goods and efficient, low energy heat management systems such as ground source heat pumps and mechanical ventilation and heat recovery (MHVR), are required so the timber frame building is as efficient as possible.
The Code for Sustainable Homes is a code that has been devised by the government to help reduce the impact that building new houses has on the environment and because climate change is becoming an increasingly worrying factor in everybody’s lives. It is the general consensus of research professionals that the construction industry is one of the main CO2 contributors to the atmosphere, directly affecting the earth’s ozone layer. The code sets minimum standards of energy and water use at each level, which must be met to achieve code certification. Minimum code ratings have been set for social-housing but individual ‘self-build’ houses can be nil rated. The government, however requires all new houses to be carbon neutral by 2015. The points below show the criteria against which a new home is assessed, the number of and level in which these criteria are met determine the code level certified for the building.
For any more information on the Code for Sustainable Homes and how we could help you meet or exceed the criteria above, please call one of our experienced designers.
The concept of PassivHaus is that a building should be ‘super’ insulated and the primary heating system to be that of warming the fresh air brought in through the buildings ventilation system via a Mechanical Heat Ventilation and Recovery (MHVR) unit. ‘PassivHaus’ is a reference by which buildings can be certified to ensure that they use as minimal energy for heating as possible. There are certain criteria that have to be met for a building to be certified as PassivHaus and they are as follows:- • External walls, roof and floor (in contact with ground), with a ‘U’ Value between 0.1-0.15w/m2k. • Continuous insulation ‘envelope’ to create minimal thermal bridging and maximum air tightness. • High level of thermal insulation. • All windows to be triple glazed and to have a ‘U’ Value of no more than 0.8w/m2k. • External doors must be insulated. • Good air-tightness. This is achieved through the appropriate use of membranes and tapes, tight joins between all materials and good general workmanship. • Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery. Units must be at least 75% efficient.
• Utilisation of passive solar gains e.g. maximum glazing to areas with high solar exposure. • Optimal room layout to take advantage of solar exposure e.g. most inhabited rooms to exposed facades. • The use of renewable and low-carbon technologies. For more information on how to ‘super’ insulate your building and how to achieve PassivHaus or Code for Sustainable Homes Code 6 certification, please contact one of our designers.