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Ebbw Vale Eco Homes

admin — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 07:43:00 +0000

Ebbw Vale Eco Homes

The site of the former steel works in the South Wales Valleys has some pioneering new eco homes

It includes:

* a three bedroom PassivHaus design to level 6 of the CSH. Designed by Bere Architects and developed by United Welsh Housing Association, the home is constructed with a closed panel timber frame system made from Welsh timber that was developed by BRE, Bere and Holbrook Timber Frame. The home includes photovoltaics and is clad with Welsh larch.
* a three bedroom house developed by Flint based Dragonboard, which uses the company’s own innovative board product that acts as a replacement for oriented strand board, and plasterboard. This house has been designed to meet level 5 of the CSH.
* a two bedroom PassivHaus design, under construction, by Bere Architects and developed by United Welsh Housing Association. This home is similar to the three bedroom home but is clad in Welsh lime render. On this home, Woodknowledge Wales, Bere and BRE worked with Beyer, a UK window designer and eight Welsh joiners to develop a PassivHaus standard window that can be made by Welsh joiners using local timber. Prior to this project there was no company in Wales was able to make PassivHaus quality windows.
* a visitor centre designed by the Welsh School of Architecture (WSA). It is constructed from the Ty Unnos post and beam system developed by WSA, Woodknowledge Wales, Coed Cymru and partners. This low energy building (approx 18kwh/m2/yr) uses Welsh timber, Warmcell insulation from Rhymney, with windows and doors developed by Vintage Windows, a local joiner using Welsh wood.

Buildings Regulations in Wales

admin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:54:27 +0000

Wales Assembly Government is to gain full control of Building Regulations. The transfer of powers to Wales has been approved by Parliamentary Council, and will come into effect before December 2011.
Wales is to be applauded for progressing faster than England towards zero carbon for new housing. How this works in practice will be interesting to see.

New Planning Policy for Wales

admin — Fri, 29 May 2009 13:02:51 +0000

To move towards more sustainable and zero carbon buildings in Wales the Assembly Government expects that the following standards will be met:

Applications for 5 or more dwellings received on or after 1 September 2009 to meet Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3 and obtain 6 credits under issue Ene 1 – Dwelling Emission Rate.
Applications for 1 or more dwellings received on or after 1 September 2010 to meet Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3 and obtain 6 credits under issue Ene 1 – Dwelling Emission Rate.
Applications received on or after 1^st September 2009 for non-residential development which will either have a floorspace of 1,000sqm or more, or will be carried out on a site having an area of one hectare or more, to meet the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) ‘Very Good’ standard and achieve the mandatory credits for ‘Excellent’ under issue Ene 1 – Reduction of CO2 emissions.

Green Travel Plans

admin — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:31:34 +0000

The Wales Sports Council together with Sustrans are providing financial help and advice for businesses and community project who want to have a Green Travel Plan. For any site wanting to reduce their carbon emissions from travel there may be help available. For example a 50% grant for a ‘bike pool’ may be available on application to the Wales Sports Council. A ‘bike pool’ is a few bikes that are available for the building occupants to use, for example to go out at lunch time, to go to local meetings or even to go to and from home. Contact Sandy Booth for more details: sandra.booth@sustrans.org.uk

BREEAM Assessments require a travel plan to be produced in the planning stage of a site, so that the need for travel is minimised, in particular the need for staff to arrive, one person one car. The travel plan is a site specific report giving details of the existing transport arrangements and then suggestions of how this could be improved.

Breeam New

admin — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:17:39 +0000

Important Note:

BREEAM 2008 has 2 free Innovations credits available for appointing a BREEAM Accredited Professional at or before the start of RIBA Stage B(Strategic Brief), inviting the assessor to all design team meetings and including them in the circulation of meeting minutes. Buildings for Tomorrow can provide an Accredited Professional

address

admin — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:11:11 +0000

Buildings for Tomorrow Ltd
30, Northumberland St
Canton
Cardiff CF5 1NA
South Wales