A timber frame eco-housing project in Stroud has been named as one of four finalists in the government’s sustainable communities awards.
Two of the other three finalists in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Award for Sustainable Communities also feature a timber frame element.
Springhill Co-Housing Community, the UK’s first co-housing project where people cook and eat together at least once a week in a “common house”, comprises 35 timber frame houses designed by Cinderford-based Architype, an architectural practice specialising in social and environmental sustainability schemes.
Stud panels were prefabricated by the Adaptable Development Company Ltd and erected on site. Swedish-made triple-glazed wooden windows and Douglas fir cladding also feature, along with photovoltaic panels and a sustainable urban drainage system.
Two other finalists featuring timber frame construction are government-funded Braunstone Community Association’s transformation of the Braunstone area of Leicester and the regeneration of Attwood Green, Birmingham. A timber frame health centre has been provided as part of the Braunstone project, while some houses constructed in Attwood Green are also timber-based.
Deputy prime minister John Prescott will announce the overall winner at the LGA Delivering Sustainable Communities Conference on February 14.
The competition is designed to recognise projects which help towns, cities and communities become better places to live and work.
