New Face for Beach House

Accoya cladding has provided the finishing touch to a new waterfront development in Cornwall and adds a stylish, sustainable feel to a long-term collaboration.

International Timber, the UK’s leading importer and distributor of bespoke, sustainable timber and panel products, recently collaborated with construction company Corinthian on a brand-new housing development in Cornwall, providing timber supplies to be used for external cladding.

Corinthian specialises in redeveloping sites that have a historic interest, in order to create new homes and breathe life into neglected buildings and areas. The North Quay developments consist of over 143 brand new units in the first phase, which features a mixture of townhouses and apartments built directly on the waterfront of the harbour in St Ives Bay. There are approximately 370 units in the second phase of the project, which will include affordable housing for locals.

For the project, International Timber provided materials to be used for external timber cladding for the apartment block known as Beach House, a niche collection of two and three-bedroom apartments, as well cladding for the bin stores for homes on the complex. In the coming months, timber will also be used for cladding the other apartments within phase one, and for the framework of the townhouses.

Specification of Accoya

Initially, aluminium cladding was specified for the waterfront homes but due to program constraints, this was later changed to timber. However, the site required a timber species that would be aesthetically pleasing while also being capable of withstanding the corrosive salty sea air and weather.

Following consultation and support from International Timber, Accoya cladding was chosen for the project thanks to its strength and durability. Typically used in applications such as cladding, siding and facades, Accoya, which undergoes a process called acetylation, is the perfect choice for aesthetically pleasing wood that requires less frequent maintenance. It is also resistant to rot, naturally insulating and insect resistant, with a 50-year guarantee provided by International Timber.

Accoya is also a preferred choice for projects which have sustainability in mind, as the timber is an alternative to tropical timber and acts as a better carbon sink during its extended life span and can be safely recycled at the end. The North Quay project’s requirements outlined in the brief also stipulated that the long-lasting cladding solution should perform well with treatments, such as paints and stains, as the cladding has received a near-black finish to match the industrial aesthetic of the project.

Creating a long-term collaboration

Site manager of Beach House, Lee Lawrence, said: “The quality of product from International Timber has been very good. They’re reliable, deliver on time and everything is always as per our order. It’s a pleasure working with them, and as the entire site is going to take approximately five to seven years to complete, we will be able to continue this partnership while they gain a deeper understanding of our needs, expectations and the aims for The North Quay developments. We also hope that we will be collaborating with International Timber on our sites in Wales and further beyond as the projects grow and the company expands.”

Patrick Turner, Senior Sales Executive at International Timber, added: “It was great to work with Corinthian on this project as it is our first collaboration. The initial designs through to the finished project have looked amazing, so we wanted to be sure that the cladding did the wonderful location justice. Accoya is a brilliantly flexible and versatile material, and this is an ideal application for it. Not only are we confident that it will withstand the weather conditions, but over time the Accoya will truly become part of the landscape.”

The project is progressing well, with Beach House nearing completion. The expected completion of all the units in phase one is at the end of 2023 with work ongoing for phase two until well into 2030.

CLADDING SOLUTIONS

info@internationaltimber.com www.internationaltimber.com

Preserving Energy

According to the Passivhaus Trust, at a UK national level effective policy development to support Passivhaus is slow, but they recently supplied an overview of the home nations’ approaches that showed encouraging signs.

In December 2019, the Trust compiled an overview of regional and local planning policies that include Passivhaus or equivalent – in the two and a half years that have elapsed, there have been some ‘exciting’ policy developments.

The recent UK Energy Security Strategy fails to include the energy efficiency policies hoped for, to help reduce energy demand and tackle the climate crisis and the much-anticipated Government Future Homes Standard is still being deliberated and is unlikely to be published until 2024. Passivhaus and energy efficient building design is now more important than ever.

Scotland

Scotland’s recent Climate Assembly, set up by the Scottish Parliament, presented its Recommendations for Action in which 97% of the Assembly voted in favour of the Passivhaus standard for newbuild projects in Scotland. “Update building standards to ensure that, within the next 5 years, all new housing is built to Passivhaus standards (or an agreed Scottish equivalent), to create healthy homes for people while also taking into account whole life carbon costs and environmental impact.”

In response to the Climate Assembly recommendations, Scottish MSP Alex Rowley is proposing a private member’s bill calling for all new homes to be built to the Passivhaus standard. The private members bill will be going before the Scottish Parliament in Spring 2022.

A positive development in Scotland has been the funding criteria recently established for the Scottish Futures Trust’s (SFT) Learning Investment Programme. Projects receiving funding need to meet a very clear energy target of 67 kWh/m2. yr, comparable with a typical new build Passivhaus school. In addition, funding is reduced based on any performance gap post completion. The Passivhaus standard eliminates the energy performance gap, de-risking the possibility of any funding loss.

Wales

The Welsh government has issued a new standard for social housing – homes built under the Welsh Development Quality Requirements (WDQR) 2021 must meet an efficiency equivalent to an energy performance certificate (EPC) of A, using a fabric first approach. Crucially, social housing providers do not have to use SAP – other metrics, such as Passivhaus certification, are also permitted, and requirements will apply to all publicly funded affordable housing. 

The Welsh Government recently announced that all new school and college buildings, major refurbishment and extension projects will be required to meet net zero carbon targets from January 2022. Buildings will be required to be net zero carbon in operation, producing zero or negative carbon emissions as part of their in-use energy.

Passive House windows

Outside Air

Extract Air

V entilation with heat recovery

Exhaust Air

Supply Air

England

Positive developments have been the Government’s reiteration in January 2022 that local authorities in England still retain powers to set local energy efficiency standards in Local Plans that go beyond the minimum standards set through the Building Regulations (Recommendation 7a). Several councils are currently working on integrating Passivhaus into their Local Plans. For example, York City Council has adopted the Passivhaus standard for its new homes delivery programme. As outlined in its Design Manual, the council commits to “Adopt a fabric first approach by developing all newbuild housing to certified Passivhaus standards”. Plans for 600 new homes to the Passivhaus standard are currently underway.

New largescale developments in Greater London are subject to additional energy efficiency requirements, beyond current Building Regulations, a requirement which is helping drive an increasing uptake of Passivhaus in London. As part of the Mayor of London’s

2021 London Plan a minimum on-site energy efficiency reduction of at least 35% beyond Building Regulations is required for major developments. Residential development should achieve 10%, and nonresidential development should achieve 15% through energy efficiency measures. The Mayor Airtightness of London has also set out environmental standards for developers wishing to use City Hall funds to build affordable housing. Although Passivhaus Thermal insulation Thermal bridge free desig ns is not specified within the requirements, the handbook for the Mayor’s Delivering Quality 5 The five basic principles of Passivhaus Homes Action Plan references Passivhaus liberally.

Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Executive published its New Decade New Approach commitment in January 2020 to tackle climate change head on with a strategy to address the immediate and long-term impacts of climate change, along with the introduction of legislation and targets for reducing carbon emissions in line with the Paris Climate Change Accord. Current Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 are in the process of being updated, and the Passive House Association of Ireland is advocating leadership which reflects the New Decade New Approach commitments. More at  www.passivhaustrust.org.uk

 Wales Social Housing Scheme

New Passivhaus homes are being built for Powys County Council. The £1.3 million scheme in Sarn, built by Pave Aways, is one of four to make the final of the Residential Property of the Year category at the Constructing Excellence Wales awards. The winner will be revealed in a ceremony at Celtic Manor in Newport on 17 June. The development was the first social housing scheme to be built for the local authority in 30 years and the authority’s first ever Passivhaus homes. The seven energy efficient homes — a mix of twobedroom bungalows and two-bedroom and threebedroom houses — were built using low energy construction methods and include sustainability features such as solar panels and mechanical heat ventilation recovery systems to reduce running costs for tenants. It was developed by the council’s Affordable Housing Team and was part of the council’s Transformation Programme to deliver aspirations in Vision 2025 including to build 250 new homes by 2025. Welsh-grown wood was used for the timber frame while cellulose fibre insulation, manufactured from recycled newspaper, was used to reduce the use of plastics.

The homes were designed by the Wales-based Hughes Architects with support from Passivhaus experts PYC and consulting civil and structural engineers Bradley Associates Ltd.

More at  www.paveaways.co.uk

Offsite construction - West Fraser’s SterlingOSB Zero is the answer to green, speed and cost demands

Speed and efficiency favour off-site housebuilding; off-site favours timber frame; and timber frame favours West Fraser’s SterlingOSB Zero. The result is less reliance on traditional site-based trades and a re-shaping of the housebuilding sector. In a recent House of Commons research briefing addressing the housing shortage in England, it was estimated that 340,000 new homes would need to be supplied every year to meet demand. Offsite timber frame construction could be the solution for housebuilders and using West Fraser’s SterlingOSB Zero is just the ticket in terms of green, speed and cost when considering essential board materials. In fact, MTW Research forecasts a rapid rise in timber frame buildings across the residential and commercial sectors in 2022. Offsite construction is one of most environmentallyconscious processes in the industry through the use of sustainably-produced materials manufactured locally around the UK and Ireland.

Why timber frame?

The growth of timber frame is changing longestablished practices within housebuilding as the construction industry embraces the idea of off-site manufacture. This approach is due mainly to the fact that offsite manufacture means a huge reduction in the site-based activities that define a traditional building firm. The reduction in on-site activity means that, once the building’s foundations are installed, erection of the main structure follows very quickly, typically taking only two or three days to complete. New timber-framed homes can therefore be brought to market at a much faster rate than is possible with traditional brick-andblock. Crucially, this also has the effect of extending the building season which, traditionally, slows significantly during the winter period. Housebuilders can therefore be more productive throughout the year if they build with timber frame.

After land prices, the two biggest cost factors in housebuilding are time and labour. Timber frame scores significantly on both counts since off-site manufacture reduces not only the erection time on site but also the amount of traditional building skills required. The factory processes employed in the manufacture of timber frame cassettes can be largely automated, unlike traditional site-based building trades. Structural timber technology addresses many government concerns associated with the procurement of housing - including environmental impact and energy efficiency, as well as speed of construction and cost. The materials that go into a timber frame system are generally more sustainable and more energy efficient than traditional masonry.

To find out more about West Fraser’s carbon negative status visit uk.westfraser.com/carbonnegative For further information on West Fraser’s products, call 01786 812 921 or visit uk.westfraser.com

FramePro® W1 chosen for Passivhaus Plus housing project in Cardiff

The FramePro W1 air barrier system from the A. Proctor Group has been chosen for a new modular Passivhaus Plus housing project in Cardiff. This innovative project will provide essential housing for Cardiff’s homeless population. It is designed by Beattie Passive using its award-winning, patented design and build system, which the company says is the UK’s first certified Passivhaus Complete Build System. The development consists of 48 one, two and threebed apartments with two ancillary office buildings. Manufactured offsite in the Beattie Passive factory in Norwich, the buildings were transported and assembled on-site in Cardiff. The three modular housing blocks provide complete flexibility. Satisfying Cardiff’s immediate requirement to provide housing for people and families in temporary accommodation, in later years, the modules can be dismantled, reconfigured and assembled to suit the demographic needs of the city at that time. The FramePro W1 system was chosen as an external air barrier. The system comprises FramePro W1, a low-resistance vapour permeable air barrier for walls, plus Wraptite® Tape. Ron Beattie, Managing Director at Beattie Passive, explains, “FramePro W1 is an excellent barrier system that provides complete protection from “windwashing” and the effects of wind penetration and moisture management in buildings. In addition, the system is easy to use and apply, easy to joint, and won’t tear.” Another benefit of the FramePro W1 system is that applying it externally simplifies the process, maintaining the building’s integrity, as there are fewer building services and structural penetrations to be sealed.

By reducing the likelihood of potential failures to meet designed airtightness levels, the FramePro W1 System helps ensure “as-designed” performance, narrowing the performance gap between asdesigned and actual energy performance. This challenge is highlighted in the latest revision of BS5250 - Management and Moisture in Buildings (Revised: July 2021), which includes reference to ‘as designed in theory’ (ADT) and ‘as-built in service’ (ABS). Isabel Beattie, Director at Beattie Passive, commented, “the buildings are designed to achieve Passivhaus Plus standards and zero carbon. To achieve these high standards, we undertake rigorous testing on the materials used in our build system, and the FramePro W1 system now features in all of our buildings.

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