95a Emneth

Location:
Emneth, Wisbech

Date of completion:
March 2016

Provided services:

Design
Planning
Sustainable Design &
Energy assessments

Sustainable architecture for a new home in Wisbech

An environmentally friendly home in the Wisbech village of Emneth, this property showcases the very best of ecodesign & architecture.

Overview

An environmentally friendly home in Emneth that showcases exceptional design that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also strives to be kind to, and interact with, the local and global environment.

Brief

Having purchased the land adjoining their current Victorian property, our client came to us looking to create a carbon neutral and sustainable home. They wanted to create a property that would become cheaper and easier to run as they grew older. The client also wanted their new home to demonstrate exemplary design in keeping with its surroundings.

Solution

Our team of eco design experts created a home that aims to achieve carbon neutrality when occupied using:

triple glazed windows
super insulated flooring and roofs
exceptional attention to air tightness of the finished property, achieving 2.39m3/h@50pa: that’s five times better than the minimum required by building regulations
a 4kWp array of solar panels on the south facing roof: this has achieved the building an A rated energy performance certificate
natural resources wherever possible and long-lasting, low maintenance render and timber cladding, along with a zinc roof and aluminium windows
carefully placed windows, entries, exits and rooms to maximise solar gain (in other words, the benefits of the sun’s warmth and light for keeping a building lit, as well as warm in the winter and cool in the summer)

Demonstrating the
difference sustainable
building design can make

Another fantastic example of the quality and environmentally friendly nature of the property is in its final air test. The test revealed that the building is 2.39m3/h@50pa: this is an impressive five times better than the minimum required by building regulations.

On top of that, the property includes a 4kWp array of solar panels on the south facing roof. The result is a building that achieves an A rated energy performance certificate (EPC), has minimal running costs and minimal associated CO 2 emissions.

It is no easy feat to create a home that minimises carbon emissions, taps into natural resources and is a comfortable environment to live and work in – becoming cheaper and easier to run with time. Add to that a home that is striking yet sympathetic with its rural location.

Altogether, this project is a beautiful example of a building that stands out from its neighbours whilst, at the same time, adds to the diversity of the local area and champions true sustainability.