Category: Sustainability

Sustainable Housing Retrofit – Cowshot & Manor Crescent

ThamesWey’s energy efficiency “make-over” of 50 former military properties was completed towards the end of 2018. Solid wall insulation, insulated roof tiles and solar panels were installed to help make these properties more comfortable and lower the fuel bills for tenants.

After acquiring the former military properties in 2008, ThamesWey Housing let the properties, at affordable rent to families on the council’s housing register. ThamesWey was shortly made aware of concerns regarding condensation, damp and mould issues, high energy bills, roof leaks and water penetration during wind driven rain. As a result, ThamesWey decided to undertake an estate wide external improvement programme to address the concerns identified by the tenants.

Inspiration for the project came from concern for tenants’ welfare and a desire to transform the properties in a way that supports the company’s core beliefs about building sustainable communities and environmentally-friendly quality homes.

The works included:

  1. Replacing the roof covering and extending the eaves & overhang to provide increased protection during bad weather.
  2. Insulating the roof void with 300mm quilt and 50mm rigid celotex between the rafters.
  3. Replacing the PVCu cladding with Wetherby Epsitherm external wall insulation and applying the Wetherby silicone render system with brick pattern effect to the cavity brickwork areas.
  4. Installing extractor fans in each kitchen and bathroom and upgrading to combination boilers.
  5. Installing 1.65 kW peak photovoltaic roof panels and trialling battery storage on 11 properties.

ThamesWey’s aspiration was to eliminate the defective building fabric with the outcome of providing homes that are warm, damp free, economical to run for the residents and low maintenance.

The works have resulted in an enhanced environmental performance, demonstrated by an improved Energy Performance Certificate rating of a C from a former E rating. Based on an example before EPC, the resulting potential fuel saving per year for each resident is over £500.

The transformational impact is homes that are now modern looking, high energy efficiency, warm and more cost effective to run.

Sustainable Housing – Rydens Way

‘Vantage’ is a development of over forty new 2, 3 & 4 bedroom houses and 1 & 2 bedroom apartments at Rydens Way, Old Woking, Surrey. The development provides a mix of both affordable housing for rent and freehold housing placed on the open market for sale.

The scheme was commissioned by ThamesWey Developments for ThamesWey Housing and built by local housebuilder William Lacey Group. Vantage is a development of properties ranging from apartments to houses that combine traditional architectural styles with high standards of sustainable design.

The development is built to the Code for Sustainable Homes Levels 3 and 4 and has achieved very high standards of energy and water efficiency.

The project sought to make best use of a difficult linear site whilst also delivering improvements in access for existing residents. This was achieved through the creation of ‘home zones’ which combine new car parking, safer access for buses and new planting.

The houses were built using ICF (insulated concrete formwork) to achieve very high standards of insulation. Internally, the properties are bright and airy, with high quality modern finishes. The properties are rendered or clad with attractive brick elevations with stone cills under grey tile roofs, set against either brick walls or landscaped gardens. Garden sheds, water butts, rotary washing lines and compost containers are provided, enclosed by close board fencing and/or brick walls. The properties also have off street parking within the home zones.

Sustainable building design has been practised through the construction of these new homes, ensuring that where ever possible the properties have a positive effect on their environment and their inhabitants, aiming to provide all the benefits of an ‘eco-house’ without intruding on the traditional approach to family home design. Energy efficient features include:

• Photovoltaic (PV) solar slates positioned on the roof, which seamlessly integrate into the roof finish, generating electrical energy from the sun
• Extremely high levels of insulation and air tightness built into the whole building fabric
• Double glazed PVCU framed windows
• Rainwater harvesting recycling water for use in the toilets andwashing machines
• High efficiency gas fired condensing boilers with radiators
• Thermostatic controls for individual rooms
• Heat Recovery Ventilation Systems

Rydens Way

Woking SMEs benefit from ThamesWey’s free energy consultancy

Posted on | by Akiko Design

This year ThamesWey, through their Action Surrey project, have been offering free energy efficiency consultancy for SME businesses in the Woking Borough Council area. Energy efficiency is an increasingly important issue for smaller businesses and there are many ways in which substantial savings can be made as well as reducing carbon emissions.

This pilot has been funded by ThamesWey Sustainable Communities in order to develop its energy efficiency consultancy services towards businesses, and to help Woking Borough Council make progress against its Woking 2050 sustainability strategy by lowering carbon emissions from local business and industry.

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