At home in the future

Open plan – winning design

This year’s Mail on Sunday British Homes Awards are showcasing the Home For The Future. More than 30 architects submitted projects, with 9 of the best listed below and the winner due to be announced on May 31st at a gala dinner at the London Marriott. The winning entry will be “rolled out across the UK” and become the protoype for thousands of eco-homes.

Off-Grid can reveal that the winner is the recycled block-builtGreen House, designed by Ganyt Francis Architects.

Anna Scothern, co-organizer of the competition and Director of the National Centre for Excellence in Housing (based at the Building Research Establishment), would not confirm the identity of the winner but said that “a major housebuilder is planning to roll out thousands across Britain”. The housebuilder’s identity will also be announced on the 31st. “It’s one of the top five volume housebuilders” said Scothern.

The first prototype of the cheap, quickly-erected houses will be assembled at the Building Research Establishment in Garston, Hertfordshire, then replicated in hundreds, perhaps thousands, to produce housing in the Thames Gateway and the Olympics regeneration of East London.

Green House has recycled slag foundations, sheep-wool insulated walls and pitched roofs of photovoltaic panels and sedum. Music, TV and the internet can be accessed throughout, as can the security system. Internet-linked, energy-efficient kitchen appliances.

How it is built
Structural walls on the outside allow open-plan within. An airtight box, ventilation is by the central stairwell. A central computer, whose CPU heat also gives warmth, controls heating.

Eco features
Recycled block construction, underfloor heating, water recycling, automatic insulated shutters to cover double glazing for added heat control. Plant-sheltered roof terrace, green roof.

The Home For The Future Award aims to encourage homebuilders to think of new house types, as current housing stock (especially concrete homes) are responsible for 27% of Britain�s carbon emissions.

The most popular method of electricity generation among the architects� entries is with photovoltaic panels, and some houses on the competition shortlist are entirely recyclable � such as Home ZED � being made with a timber frame on slag concrete foundations recycled from steelmaking.

So, without further ado here are the other 8 short-listed house designs � here�s hoping we can learn some tricks from these�

COMFORT HAUS
Architect: Bere:architects

Why it is special
The Comfort-Haus is simple but very adaptable. It can be a four-bedroom family home or include home/work space or even a self-contained granny flat. It is warm, without space-heating devices. Other innovations include a sprinkler system to free up space which would otherwise be taken up by fire-safety building requirements.

How it is built
The foundations use ground granulated blast-furnace slag cement, a recycled product that reduces carbon emissions from concrete by 70 per cent. Cross-laminated timber panels � from small sections of sustainably grown timber �form the exterior shell, leaving large open spaces within that can be divided.

Eco features
Wood construction, triple-glazed windows, thick Pavatherm insulation (fibreboard without wood preservatives or glue), breathable wood stains on the exterior, cement foundation made from the recycled by-product of steelmaking, heat-recovery ventilation system, low-voltage lighting, photovoltaic roof tiles (generating �in-house� electricity), solar panel for water heating, rainwater harvesting system.

HOME:WORKS
Architect: FKDA Architecture

Why it is special
Movable walls, various layouts, expandable, adaptable � Home:works is billed as �a unique opportunity for the home to be tailored to a person�s or family lifestyle�.

How it is built
A timber-frame construction with a combination of pre-cast concrete panels, pre-cut in the factory, and highly insulated timber panels. Walls are clad internally with clayboard sheets made from clay, reed and hessian.

Eco features
There are recycling and composting facilities within the house. Energy-saving technologies proposed include: solar water panels; ground source heat-exchange heating; wood-fired stove and boiler.

TREE HOUSE
Architect: SW Architects

Why it is special
The Tree House claims to adapt to changes in the weather, providing shelter and shade using sun and rain. There are south-facing gardens on every floor off the living and sleeping areas.

How it is built
Of a timber skeleton covered with seamless, pre-cut, super-insulated structural insulation panels. The floor is also of timber. South-facing glazing maximises the sun�s heat and light, while shelving and cupboards provide an extra layer of insulation on the north-facing walls.

Eco features
The ground-source heat pump system is powered by photovoltaic panels, which also provide 75 per cent of the home�s electricity needs. There is low-temperature underfloor heating and a rain-harvesting system will cut water bills by half. A heat-exchanger extracts warmth from stale air from within the house and warms fresh air brought in from outside.

GREEN HOUSE
Architect: Gaunt Francis Architects

Why it is special
Recycled slag foundations, sheep-wool insulated walls and pitched roofs of photovoltaic panels and sedum. Music, TV and the internet can be accessed throughout, as can the security system. Internet-linked, energy-efficient kitchen appliances.

How it is built
Structural walls on the outside allow open-plan within. An airtight box, ventilation is by the central stairwell. A central computer, whose CPU heat also gives warmth, controls heating.

Eco features
Recycled block construction, underfloor heating, water recycling, automatic insulated shutters to cover double glazing for added heat control. Plant-sheltered roof terrace, green roof.

F 222
Architect: Higgs Young Architects

Why it is special
A striking, L-shaped design which maximises exposure to the sun. The layout, including doorways, can have many variations. All living spaces face south.

How it is built
Timber-frame and clay bricks, using non-sulphur plaster. Solar-panel roof can be updated with technology.

Eco features
Large windows maximise heat gain, while external shutters avoid heat loss and avoid overheating. Other features include an internal heat-exchange system to minimise heat loss; rainwater and greywater recycling; green roofs to retain rainwater; photovoltaic panels; organic insulation (such as sheep�s wool).

LIFE:HOUSE
Architect: Cartwright Pickard Architects

Why it is special
The house is designed to create an adaptable space between two timber-framed walls. It all goes up instead of out � occupying just half of the 9×9m plot offered. The idea is to minimise costs and enable housing to be built at higher densities.

How it is built
The frame is made of two super-insulated timber-frame walls. Within that, the timber floors can be configured �any way you like� � so easily, suggest the architects, that people could learn to do it themselves.

Eco features
Rainwater collection system, green roof, energy-efficient lighting with movement detectors and shut-off systems. All energy supplied by �local low-carbon renewable energy sources� � such as shared CHP (combined heat and power) plants.

LIGHT HOUSE
Architect: HTA Architects

Why it is special
It is envisaged as a barn-like building where as many wood-based products are used as possible. Recycled newspapers and straw serve as insulation, which means that the house itself can be recycled.

How it is built
The external envelope of the house is built first, then sealed and pressure-tested for insulation. The timber frame is clad with boards of compressed straw. The windows are triple glazed, except for a large south-facing one in the living room which will be double-glazed to allow only the sun�s warmth to permeate.

Eco features
High emphasis on usable/recyclable materials and insulation. It is ultimately conceived as part of a development fed by a shared, energy-efficient central CHP generator. The non-CHP version uses solar panels for hot water and a biomass (wood-fed) stove for the winter. Rainwater harvesting and storage promises to recycle 20 litres of water a day.

BLINK HOUSE
Architect: Paul Archer Design

Why it is special
Blink House aims to make zero carbon realistic for mass housing. Built in a three-floor �stack� of blocks, with integrated garaging, it is designed to have views on all sides but not overlook its neighbours.

How it is built
Timber frame and structural insulated panels (SIPS) � highly insulated, modular panels that are quick to assemble on site. Outside �skin� can be made from brick, timber or aluminium.

Eco features
Super-insulated, with shutters over the windows allowing changes in thermal performance. Built on a hypocaust base which copes with flooding and increases the thermal mass of the building (always an issue with timber-framed buildings that can otherwise quickly reach extremes of hot or cold). Solar roof panels account for 80 per cent of hot water needs. Option of a biomass (wood-fired) boiler for central chimney.

Bookmark It