Housing

Osborne House is a treasure trove of energy-efficient products to inspire specifiers in their quest for sustainability. The latest addition to BRE's Innovation Park in Watford, it was built using modern methods of construction and is intended to offer a comprehensive model of sustainable housing. It was devised by contractor Osborne and it bristles with green technologies, from ground-source heat pumps and recycled materials to sustainable cladding and solar panels.

The house performs 40% better than the Part L carbon emission target

Credit: Mike Benwell

More than 65 companies contributed to the house's creation but Innovare Systems, a subsidiary of Osborne, provided the structural insulated panels that form its shell. Paul Ensch, director of Innovare Systems, says: "We wanted to create a demonstration house to look at innovations through the whole supply chain.

The aim of this project was to be able to walk around the house and see the latest developments from every side of the supply chain."

The purpose was also to achieve new records in reducing carbon emissions and to create a dwelling that would sail through the tough rules in the new Part L of the Building Regulations. Ensch says the project team wanted to push the boundaries of sustainability further and the first monitored results reveal a genuine success. The house, which is about to be completed after a 12-week building programme, performs 40% better than the Building Regulations requirements on carbon emissions (see "Energy efficiency", below).

The house performs 40% better than the Part L carbon emission target

Credit: Mike Benwell

Ensch says the house was designed to improve industry standards and show that modern methods of construction could cut energy running costs: Osborne House uses 48% of the energy of a similar conventional dwelling, according to the Energy Saving Trust. "We considered the whole house and took a holistic approach by looking at each element - the thermal insulation, ventilation, cold bridging and heating systems - to respond to the demands for energy efficiency," says Ensch.

The house uses the standard Jabhouse system featuring enhanced insulation: 50 mm of insulation of either side of the 130 mm wall panels. The panels are made of 100% recyclable expanded polystyrene and create a structural shell that includes the internal leaf of external walls and party walls, first and second floors and roof system. The tile-clad cassette roof requires no trusses or rafters. Other innovations include prefabricated bathroom pods and doorsets and a plug-together wiring system.

The layout of the house is conventional with the kitchen, living room, toilets and storage facilities on the ground floor. The first floor serves as an exhibition area for the supply-chain partners and the second floor has a bedroom with en-suite bathroom and a study area.

The house was built in 12 weeks using modern methods. It will be on display for two years

Credit: Mike Benwell

The house creates energy through ground source heat pumps, solar hot-water heating and a heat recovery ventilating system.

As for the cost of all this, Ensch says costs are comparable with traditional building techniques.

Furthermore, a lot of the products on display are not prototypes but available on the market today. "We wanted to prove that meeting energy-efficient requirements was achievable with that's on offer," says Ensch.

The house is the fourth exemplary house in BRE's Innovation Park. It follows Hanson's concrete house, Van Elle and Metek's steel house and Century Homes' timber house.

On completion, BRE will be looking at environmental performance and sustainability to assess whether Osborne House achieves an excellent rating under the EcoHomes scheme. The house will be on display for two years from the end of the month.