First Zero Carbon Home in Brum
… and one of the first in the UK, designed by award-winning architect John Christophers as a family home…
SEE ALSO zerocarbonhouse.greeningbrum.org.uk.
The scheme extends an 2-bed Victorian house in Balsall Heath to give 4 bedrooms plus studio loft. The work has three aims: to be a carbon neutral family home; to work with the existing house; and good architectural design. As far as we know no other zero-carbon design in the UK is built around an existing house.
1. Zero carbon
The design is carbon neutral or “zero carbon”, meaning no fossil fuel is used. This is the highest standard in the new Code for Sustainable Homes, a world leading all-round measure of sustainability, covering energy, CO2 emissions, water, building materials, day-lighting, ecology, waste, pollution, etc. The Code has six levels of environmental sustainability. Level 1 is just above current Building Regulations. Level 6 is “net Zero Carbon” meaning renewable energy meets all the needs of the home, including heat and electricity. To date only one house has been certified to this level in the UK and this was a brand new building not a modification of an existing one.
2. Existing building
The proposals extend the existing Victorian house. It is obviously better and more sustainable to re-use rather build new because of the cost and energy of new construction.
3. Architecture – Green does not have to be dull!
Energy
- Thermal insulation: upgrading the existing and new structure to 20 times better than existing.
- Airtightness: sealed to a level 28 times better than existing, but retaining vapour permeability tostop condensation.
- Windows: triple glazing 12 times better than existing.
- Heavy construction: stores heat and cool to keep the house warm in winter and cool in the summer.
- Passive solar: glazing to provide winter solar gains. Summer shading with the existing ash tree. Low-energy lighting and A++ fittings.
- Solar roof: photovoltaic (PV) panels convert the sun’s energy into electricity and any surplus can be exported to the national grid. Solar hot water panels use the sun to heat hot water, stored in a large cylinder.
- Ventilation system: supplies fresh air warmed by recovering 95% of the heat from extracted stale air.
- Wood-burning stove: top-up space and water heating fuelled by wood from the garden.
Water
Low water use WCs, showers and taps. Rainwater harvesting: tank stores rainwater from the roof to supply the house. Grey water system: allows bath and shower water to be used for garden.
Materials
Highly ecological building materials include recycled newspaper insulation; reprocessed waste timber insulation boards; reclaimed timber; lime render and lime plaster with crushed recycled glass; reclaimed door handles; hydraulically-compressed load-bearing earth blocks; rammed clay floor screeds, non-polluting materials.
Others
Recycling, health & well-being, disabled facilities, minimising environmental impact of construction, drainage, ecology, bicycle storage.
John Christophers works for Associated Architects LLP, a Birmingham firm, and is an unpaid director of GreeninBrum CIC.
Contractor: SpellerMetcalfe Ltd.
UPDATE: GreeninBrum has created a website for the Level 6 carbon-neutral house under construction in Balsall Heath, Birmingham at zerocarbonhouse.greeningbrum.org.uk.
Find other pages relating to: B12 or Buildings
Mariusz said:
John,
Big project. Have you already started to build?
Mariusz
Chris Duggan said:
Click Filed under: Zero Carbon House above to see the updates. Building has been going on for some weeks!
colin dyas said:
John sets a great example to those of us concerned about environmental sustainability. He has a fine track record in environmental architecture and it is to be hoped that his design and ideas will help define future policy in this area.
Colin Dyas.
Writing from Liverpool where we are yet to get to grip with enviromental technology in domestic dwellings