Work will start next month on 16 energy-efficient homes at St Athan in South Wales using timber-based structural insulated panels.
The £2.25m development, comprising 14 houses and two apartments, is being built by Lovell for Wales & West Housing Association using WAVE Homes’ offsite manufactured SIPs system.
The project forms part of a Welsh Assembly government pilot scheme to create ‘super-green’ housing achieving high ratings under the government’s Code for Sustainable Homes. All new housing supported by the Assembly must achieve at least Level 3 of the Code. The St Athan properties will achieve Level 4.
The SIPs will be delivered with service ducts, as well as insulation, ready fitted ready for assembly. The building shells will be watertight in a day.
The houses, all for affordable rent, will also incorporate air source heat pumps, underfloor heating and mechanical ventilation heat recovery systems.
The development, designed by the Welsh School of Architecture in partnership with Powell Dobson Architects, Blackburn Griffiths Engineers and WAVE, are due for completion early 2010.
