Overview
Earthwise Construction was appointed as main contractor to construct a new build timber framed four bedroom detached house, built to the stringent AECB Silver standard, which uses the same methodology as the Passive House Standard.
We carried out a turnkey package for our clients which included:
- Groundworks on a complicated sloping site
- Erection of a timber i-Joist frame built on site. Timber i-joists are thermally efficient, very strong and use a lot less timber than solid timber joists.
- Installation of triple glazed windows
- Installation of MVHR system
- All associated finishing works
- Landscaping to the garden
We achieved an impressive 0.1 ACH in our air tightness test (the best score of any passive house our commissioner had seen in his career!).
Challenges
When our clients approached us, they had been given some very excessive quotes which were out of their price range, and they had been thinking about having to sell the site, which was the last thing they wanted. They contacted us and we worked with them to understand their requirements and introduced them to another way of building. Apart from being a more sustainable way of building, a timber framed home is much quicker to put up and therefore cheaper than a bricks and mortar option. The end result is that our clients not only managed to build their house on budget, but we managed to create a low energy home with very low running costs, built using environmentally friendly materials.
Materials used
- Iso-Quick Insulated Raft system
- Velfac triple glazed windows and doors
- Zehnder ComfoQ MVHR system
- F.S.C Larch timber cladding
Earthwise built our 4 bed detached timber frame, timber clad family home. We know how fortunate we were to end up with them building it. Right through the team it’s clear to see the skill and pride everyone takes in their work. Craftsmen aside, we were really blown away by the thoughtfulness, the effort to find the best possible solutions for us at every step, even given the restrictions of our modest budget. We honestly never imagined we’d come out with a house of this standard and its surely down to thousands of small decisions, thousands of moments where another builder would have just got the job done, rather than apply some thought and care. They are exceptional builders who take great pride in their work and we feel very lucky to have found them.
Ben and Angie Hooten
