Sustainable Homes
Delivering Net Zero (Carbon) Homes
We believe that we are uniquely placed to positively impact the current climate emergency through leading reforms in the sectors in which we operate.
As a design and build principal contractor, we are in a prime position to directly affect these sectors by combining our expertise in these fields to deliver net zero carbon improvements.
To ensure we maximise the opportunities to make positive improvements we have developed our Environmental strategy around a term that is widely used within our company ‘Continual and never-ending improvement’.
Our improvements need to be measurable and reportable in a transparent, prompt, and concise manner. We have defined our strategy into a 5-point plan:
- Ensuring that our processes consider the risk of pollution occurring during the carrying out of our business and that these risks are mitigated in an appropriate and professional manner.
- Our procurement processes will give regard to the sourcing of materials, the processing of our waste by products and the use of utilities in the delivery of our projects.
- Appointment of Environmental Champion who will actively promote environmental and sustainable improvements and best practice across the group.
- When awarding contracts to suppliers, consideration will be given to the distance labour and materials must travel. We will promote the use of renewable energy to our business stakeholders actively promoting this form of energy over fossil fuels.
- Our aim is to lead our operating sectors in the drive towards Net Zero (Carbon), promoting the innovations that make progress towards this end.
Case Study – Delivering Net Zero (Carbon) at Saxon Gardens for Southend City Council
We were extremely proud to be appointed as principal contractor for Southend City Council’s first “Net Zero” carbon scheme for the newly awarded city. The scheme consisted of two infill parcels of land located at Saxon Gardens, providing 4 new homes, and constructed using Modern Methods of Construction (including timber frame), an enhanced photo-voltaic panel solution along with EV charging provision to the units. We were delighted to be involved in designing and constructing the council’s flagship “Net Zero” scheme, utilising our in-house expertise within the renewable sector.
Passivhaus / AECB
We ensure Passivhaus / AECB certification is achieved by clearly setting out, at early design meetings, the sustainable objectives to the design team. Once this overarching criterion, including the PHPP modelling is fully embedded we move to designing the construction procedures to facilitate these measures. We have a number of site managers who have been sent to a specialist Passivhaus training provider to learn about the construction skills required to meet Passivhaus requirements. The AECB Building Standard (Formally AECB Silver) is aimed at those wishing to create high-performance buildings and make a valuable contribution to providing low carbon buildings.
SUSTAINABLE CODES
Whilst the Code for Sustainable Homes system is no longer formally adopted for new schemes, it has been the foundation of the latest Building Regulations with the current regulation being largely comparable to Sustainable Code 4. We have completed numerous schemes to Code level 4 and 5 and we use this experience to determine how to build homes that are of low energy consumption, whilst being economic to construct.
THE LONDON PLAN
With the unique problems relating to constructing and living within our largest city,London has developed its own strategy to building energy efficient and sustainable homes. This individual scheme is focused on reducing the carbon emissions of new homes and providing clean and sustainable energy efficient housing.
Net Zero (Carbon)
Sustainability and using new technology to reduce carbon emissions is at the heart of our group company structure. We are part of the Push Energy group which was a major innovator in the construction of large solar farms. We have an in-house renewables company which delivers our photovoltaic systems, designed to offset our carbon use in achieving Net Zero (Carbon) properties. We have an excellent track record of delivering low energy schemes including Net Zero (Carbon), on-time and on-budget, with many schemes handed-over ahead of contract completion. For each project we implement robust processes to ensure design and compliance performance on our schemes is aligned to maximise efficiencies.
Sustainable Construction
Waste Products
We focus on reducing waste materials by having skip use targets, posters around the site, and operating a just in time call off ordering system.
Responsible Sourcing
Construction materials and in particular timber are responsibly sourced and certificated to ensure that it comes from authentic sources where timber is replanted and managed.
Monitoring of Utility Usage
The use of essential resources during construction such as power and water is carefully monitored and minimised where possible.
Community Wood Recycling
We are proud associates of Community Wood Recycling to lower the environmental impact of each of our sites.
Since working with them, we have diverted over 10 tonnes of wood waste for reuse or recycling from just one site.
Annual Report below:
