Background
St Vincents Housing Association has been delivering housing and services to customers, and helping shape communities in the North West for over 30 years. It provides a range of affordable homes to rent and buy, to meet the demands of todays challenging housing markets.
The majority of homes are modern, architect designed and purpose built.
Project
Worsley Road in Farnworth is a new-build development of two, 24 hour care adjoining bungalows for six disabled tenants and two live-in carers. The project is working to code for sustainable homes (CfSH) level three and in order to deliver this, Seddon is employing a range of environmentally-friendly features and modern methods of construction.
One eco-friendly product used is sheeps wool manufacturer Black Mountain Insulation, a natural and sustainable insulation method that is expected to lower energy bills for the client, as well as providing an easier and safer alternative to traditional, more fibrous insulating products,.
Seddon has used thee solar panels to power the central heating system and a sun tube to provide natural daylight to a dark utility room.
An eco-friendly, cement-based thin joint block system replaces the traditional concrete block and normal mortar bed system, resulting in a reduction in the amount of materials used and also waste generated.
Another modern method of construction used by Seddon is spray plaster, a cleaner and faster alternative to the traditional trowel method, this system again reduces amount of materials need and waste genarated.
Built on previously disused Brownfield land, the project is expected to be complete in September 2008.
Endorsement
The development has been a team effort by all the parties involved, from the Local Authority Social Services department, and Occupational Therapists, through to the Architects, Seddon and the Association. Seddon has played a crucial role in the scheme, coming on board at an early stage of the detailed design of the units. With the scheme needing to meet level 3 of the code for sustainable homes, Seddon was instrumental in working with the Energy Council to make sure the design achieved the required standards, suggesting along the way the use of Black Mountain amongst other initiatives. All of which will both aid the environment and meet the special needs of the end users of the scheme.
Once on site the professionalism and organization of the Seddon team was evident in the way in which the site was set up and the rapid progress made against the original programme. To date progress remains ahead of programme, and detailed liaison with the end users, occupational therapists, etc, continues as the scheme progresses, ensuring that the end product is both tailor made to their requirements and sustainable in the future.
Damien Mason, Development Manager - St Vincents Housing Association