50 BUILDING FABRIC
vent positions, opening restrictors, and free opening on friction guides. For developers working on accessible homes, it’s important to ensure that handle heights remain below 100 mm from the oor, in line with the requirements of Part M4(2) for accessibility.
Furthermore, inward opening windows allow for easier internal cleaning, which can be a key advantage in high-rise developments, but this must be weighed against the potential loss of usable internal space. For housebuilders and developers,
understanding the full impact of Part O is crucial – not just in selecting compliant window solutions, but also in considering how these choices affect cost, space, and the long-term usability of homes. Finding the right balance between ventilation, solar gain control, cost-effectiveness, and spatial effi ciency will be key in ensuring developments remain both practical and desirable for future homeowners. Marine Place, a striking development by Acorn Property Group in Clevedon, consists of nine three and four-bedroom townhouses overlooking the Bristol hannel. Designed as ‘light-fi lled modern
townhouses,’ each home features aluminium/timber triple-glazed windows, patio doors, and bi-parting doors, enhancing stunning seaside views. The system specifi ed also provides the exceptional weather protection required for this exposed cliff-top location, ensuring durability against salt-laden winds and driving rain. Dave Gittins, head of construction for Acorn Property Group’s Bristol Region, highlights us as a quality choice, previously used in another development. Given Marine Place’s exposure to severe weather conditions, the system was selected for its tested performance and ability to withstand strong winds and loads. arge windows on all four oors maximize the views, with bi-parting glazed doors opening onto sea-facing balconies and striking roof-level triangular gable windows. Internally, a white timber frame fi nish blends seamlessly with the interiors, while externally, dark grey aluminium frames complement the sandstone, white render, glass balustrades, and slate roofs, ensuring both aesthetic appeal and lasting performance.
Kevan Woolf is commercial internal sales manager UK at Velfac
Boosting housebuilding with innovation: using off site for social homes
he UK is in a housing crisis with more than one million waiting for a social home. The government has set a target to build 1.5 million homes in fi ve years, but to deliver this we must innovate.
T
PILOTING A NEW SOCIAL HOUSING SOLUTION Midland Heart is one of the largest housing associations in the Midlands, with a remit to build 3,750 new social homes by 2025. Tony Hopkin, head of development at
Midland Heart, said “We want to play our part in reducing the housing shortage by building the quality, aff ordable homes that our region desperately needs.” Midland Heart worked with contractor TR
Partnership Homes to pilot EnveoVent, an innovative new off site through-wall solution combining fi ve Saint-Gobain brands, in a development of 12 two and three-bedroom homes at Barnesville Close, Birmingham.
SPEED, FLEXIBILITY AND SAFETY EnveoVent was the only solution that allowed the organisation to meet the deadline for the Homes England Aff ordable Housing Grant. Lauren Arthur, solutions manager at
Saint-Gobain Off -Site Solutions, said: “While traditional builds take 12-plus weeks to construct a weatherproof shell, with EnveoVent the walls, fl oors and roof can be erected in as little as six days. “Barnesville is a tightly pocketed site in a
residential area with narrow access roads and a limited construction footprint. Off site solutions are ideal for smaller parcels of land like this.” Using an MMC Category 2 panellised system such as EnveoVent also delivers safety benefi ts, cutting time spent working at height and the number of trades working in one location.
LOW-ENERGY, AFFORDABLE HOMES Energy effi cient homes are particularly important for Midland Heart, to support residents on low-incomes. EnveoVent has excellent thermal performance with U-values of 0.16 to
WWW.HBDONLINE.CO.UK 0.13 W/m2 K, exceeding the upcoming Future
Homes Standard. Trials show homes built with EnveoVent can be heated via air-source heat pump for just £1.84 per day. Gemma Davey, Midland Heart development manager, added: “Aff ordability is about more than just rent—it’s about ensuring homes are energy-effi cient and cheaper to run.”
0800 225 225
www.saint-gobain.co.uk/enveovent
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