Nühaus comes to the BRE Innovation Park

Swiss housing innovators Nühaus GmbH have signed an agreement with BRE to bring their energy efficient, factory built house to the BRE Innovation Park in an exciting new development project.

Two semi-detached houses will be built on the Park using the company’s ‘best value’ methodology, which aims to deliver affordable housing with low environmental impact. The homes will be designed to meet Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

The housing system features bespoke structural insulated panels that can achieve air tightness values of 3 m3/hr/m2@50Pa. The fully rigid modular solution arrives on site fully painted, decorated, plumbed, wired and with kitchen, bathroom, windows and doors installed and fitted.  A two-storey, three-bedroom house can be erected on site in one day.

MD of Nühaus Stephen McCready said “The Nühaus system provides affordable homes delivering affordable warmth, no oil no gas. We build our super energy efficient houses in a factory, so you don’t have to build them in the rain anymore, all our houses are Code Level 4 as standard, and can be upgraded to 5 or 6 if required’.

BRE recently hosted a design workshop with Nühaus and members of the Building Research Housing Group (BRHG) – a network group for social housing providers - who provided input on the project from the perspective of the end user. It’s Chair Paul Longman said ‘The BRHG is committed in assisting with the development of energy efficient homes. The  planned construction of the Nühaus homes on the BRE Innovation Park is part of this process. We welcome the innovations this project will showcase and anticipate system built houses of this nature will be a major influence in reducing carbon emissions and reducing occupier fuel bills in the future.’

Other sustainability features of the development will include:

• Air source heat pump
• Mechanical Heat-Recovery Ventilation (MHRV)
• C02 emissions:15.21 kg CO2/m2 -12.03 kg CO2/m2
• Sustainably sourced materials
• 100% recycling of wastage during construction.

Global Development Director at BRE Nick Smith said: "There are currently 4.5 million people on housing waiting lists in the UK. Affordable sustainable housing solutions like Nühaus, have great potential in the marketplace. We are pleased to host the housing system on the park where housing providers, developers and other visitors can experience it firsthand."

The affordable housing exemplar will be officially opened at the INSITE 13 sustainability conference on October 2 at BRE Watford, see www.insite13.com.