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The guide is useful for architects, engineers, Local Authorities, social landlords, energy professionals, contractors and clients looking for guidance about best practice retrofit.
It is widely accepted that retrofitting our existing buildings is absolutely critical if we are to achieve Net Zero. Around 18% of our annual national CO2e emissions come from existing homes – homes that will still be standing in 2050. 80% of 2050’s homes have already been built. It is also widely acknowledged that the retrofit challenge is monumental. Over one million homes every year for the next 30 years will need to be retrofitted. We cannot afford to retrofit them twice. But if we retrofit them well, we can enjoy many environmental, social and economic benefits.
This guide sets out what good retrofit looks like for existing homes. We target energy consumption reductions of 60-80% for the average UK home. This is achievable through a whole house approach upgrading the building fabric, incorporating energy efficiency measures, improving ventilation and fitting heat pumps. These targets have been determined through practical experience and understanding of what measures are realistically achievable. They are also informed by a national housing stock model to examine issues such as renewable energy provision and grid capacity. The guide also points out the potential risks of poor retrofit and advises on how to deliver efficient, resilient and healthy homes.
The guide provides a quickstart guide to retrofit as well as typical house archetype examples for four primary housing types: semi-detached, detached, mid-terrace and a flat. Click on the pages below for the quickstart guide and typical house archetype examples.
Author: LETI
Publication date: October 2021
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Download content available for Good Homes Alliance Vanguard Network members only.
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If you have any queries, please contact richard@goodhomes.org.uk.
Content available for Good Homes Alliance members only.
If you are already a GHA member, please Log In or Sign Up for an account. Check our Member Directory to see if you are a member.
Find out the benefits of membership and sign up as a GHA member to access this content.
If you have any queries, please contact richard@goodhomes.org.uk.
Love Wolverton is a regeneration scheme for the site of the Agora Centre and car park in the town centre of Wolverton, Milton Keynes. It comprises 115 dwellings, of which 86 are for market and affordable rent and 29 are within an over-50’s cohousing community called Still Green; plus 900m2 of small-scale retail space and 100m2 community space.
The project reinstates the former street grid lost under the Agora and provides new car-free streets, a pocket park and a sustainability mobility hub and incorporates a renewable energy microgrid. The project obtained planning permission in August 2021 and will commence construction in summer 2022.
The project, which was submitted for planning at the end of 2020 by TOWN working with architects Mikhail Riches and Mole and landscape architects URBED, was recognised in July with a prestigious Festival of Place / Design Council award for the UK’s best ‘future place’.
There will be both an EV car club and bike hire schemes.
As well as the extensive public realm and pocket park created within the scheme, this new city centre development is surrounded by amenities including shops, restaurants etc. The location also offers fantastic transport links and is less than 10 minutes walk from Wolverton train station.
Western road recreation ground is a short walk away with the beautiful Ouse Valley park within easy reach.
Neil Murphy, Director, Town
“Planning permission is a vital milestone in any project. Here, it’s the culmination of years of co-operative work between council officers and elected members, our team and above all the Wolverton community who have campaigned tirelessly to have the Agora replaced by a development worthy of the town. Reconciling the constraints of the site with demanding policy and community expectations of design, conservation, sustainability and affordability was a huge challenge but with planning achieved and the Council’s investment in place we’re looking forward to working with partners to make it reality”
Case study kindly funded by MCS Charitable Foundation
Featuring three low carbon homes, this development is the first of its kind in Crouch End (North London), with each house achieving a very low space heating demand.
With an ultra-low energy approach at its heart, these homes offer an extremely well insulated and airtight building envelope, triple glazed windows and a Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery (MVHR) system providing a constant supply of fresh and filtered air. In addition, the heating system, powered via an air source pump, combined with a thermal store, provides low-cost low-energy heating and hot water.
These homes have been designed to exceed the London Plan minimum space standards. They have been planned with flexibility, accessibility and comfort in mind, with particular regard to future wheelchair users.
Each unit is provided an EV charging point.
Passivhaus Planning Package (PHPP) modelled overheating at 2-9%.
Each house has its own private garden space. Two of the three houses also have roof terrace areas and green roof areas.
The project makes use of an offsite manufactured construction process. Rapid on-site assembly of airtight insulated superstructure and external finishes with the installation of the full house kit, including windows and doors and roof covering is undertaken by the factory’s own installation team.
The factory is certified to ISO9001 and ISO14001 standards, ensuring a full production quality control system and environmental standards.
Case study kindly funded by MCS Charitable Foundation
Pollard Thomas Edwards was appointed by Blenheim Estates to create a masterplan for 430 new homes over two sites in Oxfordshire and will also provide sustainable design consultancy for the homes. The homes will be seeking Passivhaus certification and are aiming for Net Zero carbon in operation.
Low carbon technologies will be implemented to help achieve the ambitious targets, including Air Source Heat Pumps, thermal store and PV solar panels for each home. PTE undertook a full architectural and sustainable design service of Passivhaus design, overheating assessments and BRE daylight and sunlight assessments.
The masterplan centres on the public realm, removing cars by providing innovative parking barns with EV charging, with a focus on bike and foot travel as well as providing large shared outdoor spaces for residents.
It is being proposed to monitor energy use and carbon in 10% of homes and engage with a University partner to help with the dissemination.
EV charging will be available for all parking spaces in the parking barns, supplied from rooftop PV solar panels.
Woodstock North features innovative parking barns that remove cars from the landscape. The barns will provide high-quality flexible space, which can be converted to other community or business uses as the town’s needs change.
Each parking barn has 44 car parking spaces with EV charging including 3 wheelchair spaces and additional e-bike charging and hire spaces. The 1062m² timber structures are open-sided and lined with green walls, including a 60m² community hub and foyer for local resident use.
The creation of these parking barns allows space for an extensive landscape proposal that will include a network of green infrastructure with a mix of formal and informal open spaces. Throughout this, there will be a series of amenities.
Kaye Stout, Partner, Pollard Thomas Edwards
“PTE creates homes and places which tap into a more profound understanding of context and history, while providing contemporary solutions which suit modern aspirations. We are delighted to have been invited by Blenheim Estates to work in the beautiful village of Woodstock.’’
Case study kindly funded by MCS Charitable Foundation
This 180-acre site next to Cambridge Airport will become a new urban village and eastern expansion to the city, providing 1,300 homes, of which 5 prototype houses are “Active Buildings”. The site also provides a primary school, local shops and a country park – plus a new business park focused on motor showrooms.
The Active Homes will incorporate high-performance fabric as well as low carbon technologies to reduce energy usage. Full energy and environmental monitoring will be carried out, and if the results are positive the prototypes will be scaled up across the masterplan.
Active Building Centre was chosen for this project as an innovative partner was needed that could support the project team with the specification of the renewable energy systems.
Active Building Centre is leading on Building Performance Evaluation (BPE) and carrying out full energy and environmental monitoring for 18 months. This will be on 7 homes, including 2 typical Marleigh homes that are acting as a control.
Pollard Thomas Edwards and Hill are leading on resident surveys and construction site reviews with plans to engage a University partner to help with analysis and dissemination.
There is expected to be a performance gap, with key learnings being taken from the prototypes, with an assessment of how big of a gap and why.
EV charging is available for all Marleigh Active Homes.
Use of CIBSE TM59, design methodology for the assessment of overheating risk in homes.
The development includes a school, community centre and non-residential units.
The scheme complies with secured by design.
The project meets requirements of lifetime homes.
Andrew Beharrell, Senior Partner, Pollard Thomas Edwards
“This is a great opportunity to create a new urban quarter for Cambridge. We want to bring to the east side of Cambridge a quality of design and long-term stewardship which can compete with the very best in the City and with international exemplars. Working for a single landowner, with a commitment to the area and a track-record in technical innovation, is a very promising start.”
Case study kindly funded by MCS Charitable Foundation
Woodlands Edge is a development of 30 homes 5 miles outside of Lincoln city centre, designed and built by Gusto Homes who have specialised in eco-housing since 1990.
Woodlands Edge incorporates three different construction methods all designed with a high fabric efficiency and Passivhaus principles in mind, with the performance of each typology monitored through resident feedback. The all-electric homes make use of low carbon technologies including MVHR and PV panels. The 18 units that make up the ‘Edge’ create more energy than they use with both SAP and Environmental Impact ratings over 100.
Community spirit is at the heart of the scheme with each unit having its own allotment, alongside communal facilities including a tennis court and pond.
SAP and Environmental Impact Rating assessment and airtightness test have been carried out by Midland Energy Services.
Energy performance figures below pertain to Woodlands Edge area of the development. Bungalows and stand-alone houses vary but within a high-performance range.
All properties are pre-wired with a 32-amp supply and socket on driveways.
The management company is resident-owned, resulting in householders having a direct sense of ownership for the 10 acres of communal land including tennis court and allotments.
Woodlands Edge resident:
“I was one of the first residents to move into the Woodlands Edge development and have watched it come to life as more residents have moved in and interacted with the management of the site. It is a different way of living. Making sure we do our part for the planet by moving into an eco-home and altering our lifestyle to reduce our carbon footprint.”
Managing Director, Gusto Group:
“Woodlands Edge is a one-of-a-kind development showcasing the latest eco technology at the time. The site now fully occupied has a great community who are passionate about the environment and are willing to help one another. Each resident has access to a communal store offering various gardening equipment to reduce the need to purchase individual items. One of the aims of the site was to reduce individuals carbon footprint and deliver a showcase development.”
Case study kindly funded by MCS Charitable Foundation