Modern performance from traditional methods

Developed by a Midlands housing association, a recent project in Handsworth, Birmingham shows a forward-thinking approach to sustainable housing, anticipating the Future Homes Standard. MPA Masonry explores how combining innovative materials with traditional construction methods can create efficient, low-carbon homes.

The brainchild of forward-thinking housing association Midland Heart, the design and construction of Project 80: Eco Drive in Handsworth, Birmingham, completed in 2022, pre-empted the Future Homes Standard (FHS), which is set to be introduced in 2025. 

From the outset, Midland Heart was keen to meet all the requirements of the forthcoming regulations, which will see all new homes expected to produce a 75-80% reduction in carbon emissions compared to currently accepted levels.  

The Future Homes Standard covers a wide range of criteria and the developer had to carefully plan every aspect of the build to ensure the lowest whole-life carbon performance. This ranged from the materials chosen and systems specified, through to the machinery used onsite and the fixtures, fittings and finishes in the property.  

A low-carbon home also needs to be structurally safe, built to last and comfortable for the occupier. This meant balancing achieving the Future Homes Standards requirements without compromising the essential elements which comprise a quality home. 

Fabric-first design 

The FHS is set to usher in a new age of energy-efficient, low-emissions housing. Midland Heart was keen to ensure it met the stipulated low U-values on its upcoming developments, leading to the initial concept of Project 80 and the objective of delivering a fully ‘fabric first’ development. 

As Tony Hopkin, head of construction and quality at Midland Heart revealed: “Our residents are at the heart of everything we do, yet we’re also conscious of our environmental responsibility, so we wanted to build homes which not only protect people, but the planet too. So, Project 80’s overarching aim became the elimination of any unintended consequences which would cause the properties to fail to comply with the FHS, as this would have massive negative implications for potential occupiers, and the housing association.

“In particular, we wanted to show that, with the right materials and systems, achieving ultra-low U-values was entirely possible. By trialling different solutions, particularly the latest concrete and aircrete blocks, we were able to achieve U-values of 0.13, putting our properties comfortably within the standard’s requirements.”

The West Midlands has a wealth of local block manufacturers and a rich heritage of block production. For this project, concrete blocks were manufactured by Shropshire-based Besblock, and its aircrete blocks were manufactured by H+H.

This blended approach not only achieved the required thermal efficiency, but the use of high-performance aircrete blocks, which are lightweight and easy to install, supported the air-tight structures and reduced the chance of thermal
bridging. It also significantly accelerated the construction process.

A material success 

To meet its aims of achieving Part L compliance, Midland Heart needed to specify materials that could deliver maximum efficiency, yet also deliver safe, secure, comfortable and affordable dwellings.  

Furthermore, they were keen to work with local businesses, ensuring a small supply chain with the minimum amount of energy and fuel consumption possible.  

As the project began to take shape, in the form of a group of 12 new homes built using fabric first principles, Midland Heart, which is an advocate of traditional construction methods, embraced tried and tested cavity wall construction. Being a traditional method, they understood that this system would deliver the desired thermal efficiency, but without reinventing the wheel.  

Cementing concrete’s low carbon credentials 

Project 80 is providing definitive proof that concrete can play a crucial role in contemporary, sustainable housebuilding. It’s also proving there’s more to meeting sustainability requirements than ‘upfront’ embodied carbon. 

That’s not all, the manufacturing process of the blocks used (Besblock’s Universal Star Performer in this case), helped Midland Heart achieve homes that met the design brief’s 80% carbon reduction target, providing significant embodied carbon savings. Cured by energy from a nearby waste wood facility, using biomass boilers, the products used had significantly lower embodied carbon values than equivalent products. 

The use of SustainaCem cement, a pre-blended sustainable binder, and blocks cured using energy from a nearby waste wood facility, also kept embodied emissions low, further reinforced by a local supply chain.  

Tony Hopkin concluded: “Project 80’s vision has been to deliver high-performing but low-impact homes that are tailored closely to resident needs. Technology and sustainability have been at the heart of this development to improve efficiency, but the fabric of the building was the starting point that needed to be addressed. 

“Blockwork, whether concrete or aircrete, has very impressive whole-life carbon qualities which are often overlooked, but they are truly circular products that embody the core principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle. In partnering with Besblock and H+H, we discovered sustainable products that could adapt and flex according to the other low-carbon components selected, with the result that we were able to achieve homes fit for the Future Homes Standard.”

Article submitted by MPA Masonry