Category 6: Energy Efficiency
Project that demonstrates the best use of energy efficiency features in housing, designed to save energy, reduce costs and the overall environmental impact.
Project: Extending, remodelling and upgrading a 1960s townhouse to create a low carbon, healthy family home
Builder: Earthdome Ltd, Teddington, Middlesex
Client: Steve Mills
Bob Harris of Earthdome Ltd was tasked with turning a down-at-heel, energy guzzling 1960s townhouse into a future-proofed, low carbon, healthy family home.
Developer Steve Mills and architect Leigh Bowen wanted to demonstrate that it is possible to turn an average family house into a beacon of sustainability and a model for the eco-upgrading of similar housing stock. But the project had to be completed without sacrificing the style, comfort and the modern fixtures and fittings that the target outer London family purchaser would expect.
Bob’s brief encompassed the upgrading of the entire building fabric, the installation of a carbon neutral heating system, and the total reworking of the internal layout, extending the property over all three floors. Ten months and £200,000 later, the East Twickenham property had not only been transformed into a sustainable, well-insulated family home, it had also doubled in value.
The success of the project was in large part due to Bob’s enthusiasm, his exacting standards and his ability to champion his client’s ideas. He also maintained good relations with neighbours by alerting those affected about any impacts the build might have on them, updating them on progress and ensuring that disruptions were minimized. He also took the time to explain the environmental objectives to interested neighbours.
Bob’s relationship with the client was also exemplary, making himself available on site every morning for update meetings, accommodating changes and discussing alternatives when unforeseen problems arose. And this was a complex project with plenty of opportunities for such problems!
Bob’s first job was to demolish the three-storey gable end and take out all the internal walls. The side of the property was extended with a steel frame construction, and window space was maximized to allow natural light to flood in.
Thermal mass was added to the essentially lightweight building by using concrete block instead of studwork for internal partitions, and tiling all bathrooms floor to ceiling.
Upgrading the property’s environmental performance means that gas has been cut out altogether, while electricity and water consumption has been reduced by 50%. Underfloor heating is provided by a carbon neutral wood pellet boiler, located in the sitting room, powered by waste wood from saw mills in Northern Ireland, combined with 6m2 of evacuated tube solar collectors. A unique hot water heating system, developed for the project, incorporates a water softener and anti-scald valves that enable the solar hot water panels to run at 50% higher temperatures.
Significant attention has been shown to ventilation to ensure that air moves through the building to create a healthy environment, while shielded electrical cables have been used to reduce electromagnetic fields. As an energy saving measure, cut off switches have also be installed in every room.
Steve Mills and Leigh Bowen agreed that much of the success of this project was down to Bob’s total enthusiasm for the low carbon/healthy home concept, his exacting standards, his collaborative approach and his ability to educate and motivate his team.
The rise in the property’s value was equally impressive. Bought for £400,000 – it increased to £800,000!
