Fabric First for AIMC4

H+H joined forces with Stewart Milne, Crest Nicholson, Barratt Developments and the BRE to complete 17 cost-effective low carbon homes in England and Scotland for the AIMC4 development scheme.

This project has been made possible by a £3.2m investment by the Technology Strategy Board, which has also been matched by the AIMC4 Consortium.

The aim of the £6.4m project is to build energy efficient, economical and appealing homes that will meet the energy requirements of Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. This will be achieved without the use of renewable technologies utilising a fabric first approach.

Fabric first means making sure the building envelope maximises its insulation performance and is as airtight as possible whilst maintaining good indoor air quality. For the homebuyer, a fabric-first house simply provides the most energy efficient environment without them having to get to grips with any complex technology.

As part of AIMC4, H+H’s modern method of Thin Joint masonry has been used to construct masonry cavity external walls on Barratt Developments four houses, a detached and small terrace, at Meridian Park in Corby. The method was also used for Crest Nicholson’s detached four-bedroom Brockham family home at the Noble Park site in Surrey.

Now that the houses have been completed, BRE Scotland will monitor the building performance and study the occupant behaviours and experiences of living in the properties.

H+H marketing manager, Jenny Smith-Andrews, explains the company’s involvement with the project: “Our objective in getting involved with AIMC4 was primarily to prove that it is possible to build a house to Code Level 4 without the need for any renewables and by using fabric first solutions.

“Another key objective for H+H was to demonstrate how an aircrete structure is a viable method to achieve this aim. The benefits of the project stem from the collaboration of the supply chain working together with the developers to design the homes to achieve the most desirable results.

“The project has confirmed that our aircrete blocks and Thin Joint products are a viable masonry solution from a build and financial perspective. Homebuyers will see the benefits when they are able to buy exceptionally energy efficient homes that are straightforward to live in.”

For more information about AIMC4, go to http://www.aimc4.com/