Social success


An affordable-housing development is performing well against design targets, according to engineers, but an evaluation of the project reveals huge variations in occupants’ behaviour. Mark Jansen reports


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Clay Fields comprises 26 social housing units designed to the BRE Eco-homes Excellent standard


ost-occupation evaluations (POEs) of green buildings are comparatively rare, according to Zack Gill, research engineer at Buro Happold. He believes the problem is partly a lack of


funding and partly a fear that the results may reveal issues that the design and construction teams would rather not have to grapple with. However, a recent POE of the award-winning Clay Fields estate in Elmswell, Suffolk, has shown a good energy reduction in both space heating and ‘regulated’ energy consumption. It also highlights the huge differences that occupant behaviour can have on energy use. The Clay Fields estate comprises 26 social housing


units designed to the BRE Eco-homes Excellent standard and was completed in September 2008. The project was first featured in CIBSE Journal in September 2009 (page 36). Sustainability adviser Buro Happold has spent 18 months examining how the homes have been performing. Studies of the space heating and hot water consumption revealed the average amount of energy used is 51% less than


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36


CIBSE Journal September 2010


www.cibsejournal.com


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