EcoHouse exceeds all performance expectations
June 16, 2009
The benefits of thermal mass can be provided in a house built from traditional masonry and concrete construction, Hanson, one of the UK's largest suppliers of construction materials, said last week.
It was speaking after data unveiled at this year's Insite 2009 exhibition showed that the Hanson EcoHouse™ had exceeded all performance expectations.
Built in 2007 for BRE's Offsite exhibition, it was the first masonry house to achieve Code Level 4 under the Code for Sustainable Homes, with its construction bringing together the latest developments in off-site construction, thermal mass and natural ventilation.
This combination has created a house, Hanson said, in which a comfortable interior climate can be maintained regardless of external conditions. This is ideal for people who spend a lot of time at home, such as those with young children, those who work from home or those who are retired.
Results from two years of testing have shown, the company claimed, that the combination of effective design, sustainable technology and off-site masonry construction has produced a building system that can help achieve low carbon homes for the future.
Data collected at the House in February this year, for example, showed that, while the external wall temperature varied between a low of -2°C and a high of 11°C, the internal wall temperature remained constant between 18°C and 19°C.
Managing director of Hanson's Floors and Precast division, Gerry Feenan, said: "Our objective with the Hanson EcoHouse was to show that a thermally efficient, low carbon house could be built in a way that was both viable for developers and appealing to potential purchasers and, maybe just as important, easy to operate."
Print this page