Wiltshire Low Energy Newbuild

A newbuild project in Wiltshire aiming for energy self-sufficiency and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has just been completed. Simon Radclyffe of Radclyffe Associates was the architectural designer while Elliott Pardington Architecture & Design was the technical design consultant. 21°’s PERFORMANCE range of triple glazed timber windows and doors were specified for the project.

A newbuild project in Wiltshire aiming for energy self-sufficiency and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has just been completed. Simon Radclyffe of Radclyffe Associates was the architectural designer while Elliott Pardington Architecture & Design was the technical design consultant. Green Building Store’s PERFORMANCE range of triple glazed timber windows and doors were specified for the project.

Design

The house was built on the site of a demolished building and is built on a sloping site, with three storeys on the eastern side and one storey on the western side. The basement  is partially underground and is made using ICF with 300mm Kryton waterproof concrete infill, thereby negating the requirement for additional tanking. The frame of the house is engineered timber I-beam with 300mm Warmcell insulation.  The house has a cold roof, with 300mm insulation and covered with a Sarnafil single ply membrane.

There are 32 SunPower solar photovoltaic panels on the roof with an output of 10kW.  A Tesla battery stores excess electricity. Heating in the basement is provided by a wet heating system with radiators. Upstairs, the only heating is provided by a wood burning stove, but wiring provision has been made for electric radiators which may be retrofit installed depending upon how the house performs over the coming winter. Ventilation in the house is a passive stack system, designed by the clients with support from Encraft. The house also utilises 7500 litre rainwater harvesting system which feeds into the toilets, washing machine and outside taps.

Triple glazed timber windows & doors

21°’s PERFORMANCE range of triple glazed timber windows and doors (including entrance, bi-fold and lift & slide doors) were chosen for the project.

The house has now been occupied for over six months and data shows that the building is almost entirely off-grid, except during several consecutive cloudy winter days.