Building or retrofitting a property so it performs to high energy-saving standards is a priority for many, often requiring architects to devise clever ways to build sustainably and incorporate renewable power generation. From new multi-generational countryside homes to period house renovations, these projects lead the way in decarbonisation ideas.
WORDS JAYNE DOWLE
1 RURAL DESIGN Built to meet the paragraph 84 criterion of planning policy, which demands a design approach of the highest quality in a countryside setting, this two-storey, four-bedroom house near Crowborough, East Sussex is Passivhaus standard.
For a build cost of £3,500 per sqm, the 435sqm, timber-frame home includes recycled newspaper insulation in the wall cavities that’s 300mm thick. ‘Triple glazing captures the sun’s warmth in the winter, while a roof overhang shields south-facing windows and doors from the sun in summer to prevent overheating,’ says architect Richard Hawkes.
In winter, a combined log and pellet boiler charges a heat store that supplies the ground-floor underfloor heating and the house’s hot water. The boiler power is supplemented by a 13kW solar photovoltaic (PV) array on the roof linked to a solar battery to store electricity. (hawkesarchitecture.co.uk)
2 NET-ZERO REMODEL Extensions to the side, rear and loft turned a mid-terrace Victorian house in the Queen’s Park conservation area of west London into a spacious 175sqm home for a couple in their thirties and their baby. The ground-floor extensions are steel frame and brick and block construction, and the loft extension is timber frame.
Wood-fibre insulation lines the interior walls throughout, plus windows and doors with triple glazing reduce heat loss, as does the wildflower roof on the rear extension, which also prevents water run-off and enhances biodiversity. ‘The property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of A is the result of bringing together a diverse range of measures,’ says project architect Ester Corti.
The 4.76kWh roof-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) panels help power an air-source heat pump supplying heating and hot water and a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system. The couple have shares in a wind turbine, supplying renewable electricity that effectively makes their home net-zero for energy use.
Thanks to the improvements, the three-storey, four-bedroom, £1.6m home achieves a 90 per cent reduction in carbon emissions and annual electricity
