Tarmac Homes |
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Building the affordable, sustainable houses of the future. 
Project: Tarmac Homes Project SummaryTwo semi-detached, low energy masonry homes have been built by Lovell at the University of Nottingham as part of the Tarmac Homes research project. The finished houses provide an insight into what the homes of the future might look like. The project aimed to develop a simple, affordable and repeatable blueprint for energy efficient family homes. The project has built two semi-detached homes, one to Level 4 and the other to Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, to meet the UK Government’s target for all new homes to be zero-carbon by 2016. The project aims to show that masonry materials and existing industry best practice can be used to build sustainable, affordable housing. Unlike some other showcase sustainable homes, the houses will be fully occupied and monitored for up to 20 years to provide feedback to designers on zero carbon performance over time. Delivering today for tomorrowPeopleHomes built to Lifetime Homes standards, with energy performance to be monitored through time. PlanetLow-carbon solutions using brick and conctrete masonry. ProfitTesting the commercial viability of low-carbon homes. Aspects of SustainabilityPeopleA notable feature of the project is that the houses are not merely showcase constructions. It is planned that the houses will be lived in for the next 20 years to find out what they are like to live in, how much carbon they actually produce and to see which features work and which don't. This is an essential part of the research work – sustainable homes are only truly sustainable if they meet occupants’ needs in the long-term and if low-carbon design measures work when used on a day-to-day basis (rather than just on the drawing board). Both homes have been designed to Lifetime Homes standards. Lifetime Homes standards are designed to provide adaptable accommodation through thoughtful design. There are 16 criteria for Lifetime Homes incorporating ease of access into and around the home. Wheelchair accessibility is the benchmark for space requirements. The Code 6 home also has provision for a lift in the sunspace to make moving between floors as easy as possible. PlanetThe low-carbon approach to building the houses aimed to show that highest levels of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH) are affordable and achievable using existing, and readily available masonry products and techniques. The houses were constructed of regular brick and concrete masonry with internal walls coated with lightweight plaster in order to achieve a high airtightness standard. This, together with external insulation, minimises heat loss and reduces energy demand. The masonry fabric, with its high thermal mass, helps achieve passive heating and cooling, integral to achieving the targeted carbon saving in this design. A mix of heat recovery and microgeneration technologies are incorporating a biomass boiler, a solar thermal hot water system, photovoltaic roof panels and a passive wind cowl, deliver the heat, power and ventilation for the house. Profit The project also tested the commercial viability of building low and zero-carbon homes. It provides the housing industry with an indication of the current costs to meet the Government’s current residential carbon reduction targets. It revealed that the Level 4 home was built for around £6,000 more than a typical house of the same size, while the Level 6 home cost an extra £38,000. Best Practice Each of the homes will be lived in by students and/or university staff to provide real data of how people use their homes over an extended period of time, rather than simply simulating performance or having people stay for short periods of time. Quotes
"It was... important to use this test-bed project to try and develop a commercial house type which can be built using tried-and-tested products and techniques that have been favoured by UK builders for decades. This makes the initiative both practical and commercially viable."
Darren Waters The code level 4 home cost around £6,000 extra to build compared with a typical home of this size. The code level 6 home designed to achieve a CO2 reduction target of 150% compared to 2006 Part L levels. |