Swift progress is being made at The Cambridge Building Society’s retrofit project house, where sustainable building innovations are being installed.
Intended as a living case study to help others make changes to their own properties, the house in Ferndale Rise is being transformed from an ordinary 1930s three-bedroom home into an example of a modern, green building.
The rear extension under construction at Ferndale Rise, The Cambridge’s retrofit project. Picture: Claire Sargent
Work started in July and last month the roof was upgraded and solar panels installed, as the Cambridge Independent reported as part of our ongoing coverage of the project.
Since then, activity on site has ramped up, with the most recent works including:- The installation of a rainwater harvester tank in the garden;- The digging of foundations and the creation of footings for the side and rear extensions;- Completion of the concrete base for the garden home office – the self build structure is almost complete;- Completion of all structural work inside the property, including steel beams in place and some walls removed;- The spraying of the property with an innovative liquid membrane ahead of insulation being installed to help keep the property airtight; and- Installation of Insulation in the loft – after the new year, more insulation will be installed on the ground floor and in the cavity walls of the side extension.
The rainwater harvester tank being installed at Ferndale Rise in Cambridge. Picture: Claire Sargent
Duncan Turner, project manager at The Cambridge, said: “Things are really taking shape now for the property. With all structural work done the team can properly assess what they’re working with and begin its next phase of works to ensure the airtightness of the property and insulation from top to bottom.
“We decided to include the rainwater harvester system as part of our water management for the property and that has been a really interesting process to see first hand what’s involved.”
The rainwater harvester tank ready to be installed at The Cambridge retrofit project. Picture: Claire Sargent
The rainwater harvester system is an innovative addition to the energy efficiency measures being installed at the home.
A large tank has been put underground in the garden that can hold approximately 3,000 litres of water. It will effectively recycle rainwater using a rainwater management system, which can then be used in the house to flush the toilets, water the garden and run water to the washing machine.
The Cambridge says it wants to play its part in the decarbonisation of the UK housing market and showcase how sustainable living is achievable for everyone by renovating the semi-detached property with modern, energy-efficient solutions which will improve the EPC rating of the property from D to B.
Work in progress for liquid membrane spraying for airtightness at the Ferndale Rise home. Picture: Claire Sargent
Key sustainability improvements considered for the project include:
Insulation (wall, floor, roof);Improved glazing;An air source heat pump;Mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery;Electric underfloor heating;Solar panels;Rainwater harvesting; and Green roof on side extension.
Duncan added: “An increasing number of people are committed to making environmentally positive upgrades to their homes. But it’s often difficult to know where to start. That’s why we’ve created a living retrofit case study using a fairly typical semidetached property to show what can be done while providing practical, affordable solutions.
“We’re on a steep learning curve and we want to share the lessons learned and tips for our members and the wider Cambridge community so they might consider implementing energy efficient solutions for their homes.”
The rainwater harvester tank in place at The Cambridge’s retrofit project_in Ferndale Rise. Picture: Claire Sargent
The Cambridge is documenting the process and will be sharing what it learns along with tips and advice from industry experts and links to skilled local tradespeople, including project partners Koru Construction, Pip Architecture, Rethink Buildings, and RHBC Ltd Building Control.
When completed, the house will be added to The Cambridge’s unique Rent To Home initiative, through which the society rents homes to aspiring first time buyers at just below market value and then, after a few years, returns up to 70 per cent of their rent to use as a deposit when they buy their first home.
Visit www.cambridgebs.co.uk/sustainable-living for more on the project.