Multi-award winning Devon architects, Trewin Design Partnership were pleased to make a presentation to Rebecca Smyth from Trowers & Hamlins on Thursday 22 April. Rebecca won their competition at the recent Chartered Institute of Housing Conference in Torquay.

Trewin Design Partnership (TDP) showcased a model of their prototype for a typical three bed house that is specifically designed for the affordable housing sector which achieves Code 6  ‘zero carbon’ energy rating.  TDP have considerable expertise in this area and wanted to demonstrate that a Code 6 house was achievable using a layout that meets with current HCA standards and is suitable for a volume market.

Visitors to the event were invited to guess the predicted annual energy cost for a prototype house and this provided quite a challenge.   The answers submitted covered a wide spectrum, but few came close to the result of -£87.30! (As calculated by the SAP 2005 report).

Rebecca Smyth who is a lawyer at Trowers & Hamilins, was closest with her answer of -£102. She was presented with her prize by David Savage, a Partner at TDP, at the official launch of the new Trowers & Hamlins offices in Southernhay on Thursday evening.

James Trewin, Partner TDP, said “I think people will be surprised at the level of energy savings we have achieved.  Our prototype aims to accommodate all the demanding requirements of affordable housing and using our expertise we have
provided a design that starts to address the practicalities of meeting housing needs, crucial in the south west”.

Photograph above – David Savage, Partner Trewin Design Partnership and Rebecca Smyth from Trowers & Hamlin's

The model of Trewin Designs prototype house examines the realities of providing a Code 6 affordable home that meet with all current standards. By using a typical 3 bed affordable house layout to examine what changes are needed to meet with Code 6.

The code 6 has been achieved by using good insulation in the walls, making the building air tight as possible, good internal day lighting by increasing window sizes, water recycling and water saving measures, energy saving lighting and appliances, sustainable construction methods and materials, recycling storage provisions, composting bin & water butt in gardens, cycle storage, and renewable technologies.

The renewable's include a Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP), heat recovery and Photovoltaic (PV's). The PV's produce electricity from the sun and this is put back into the grid and the electricity company has to buy back the electricity which is why the running costs are a minus figure! The roof is shaped to provide adequate south facing roof area for the amount of PV's required to make the energy requirements for the house to be carbon neutral.

Read more about the Code for Sustainable Homes, click here: http://www.trewin-design.co.uk/services/sustainability.html