The Barratt Green House

"The most exciting aspect of the 'Green House' is it's not designed as a one-off - we will take what works and apply it to house building across the country."

Mark Clare, Chief Executive of Barratt Developments

The Barratt Green House was the first home on the Innovation Park to be built by a mainstream house builder. Aiming to achieve both outstanding environmental performance and wide public appeal, its design won the 2007 Home for the Future Design Award run by the Mail on Sunday, in which the winner was chosen by a public vote.

Built by Barratt Development PLC, key features of the Green House include:

Code level 6 - the house was designed (by architects Gaunt Francis) to meet both level six of the Code for Sustainable Homes and the Government's criteria for zero stamp duty.

Future proofing - high levels of thermal mass in the structure will reduce the need for cooling during the hotter summers predicted to be a feature of climate change, and flexible internal spaces allow different layouts to suit changing family needs.

Daylighting - high performance triple glazing and thermally-broken wooden frames allow sufficient glazing to bring daylighting across the depth of the accommodation.

Window shutters - the distinctive shutters are an attractive feature, but also optimise solar gain, control overheating and prevent glare - and offer potential insulation benefits.

MVHR - a whole-house mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery (MVHR) warms incoming fresh air using heat from air being exhausted from the building, and circulates it to the habitable rooms by a ductwork system.

Research - The Green House is the subject of a rigorous, two-year scientific testing programme to assess every aspect of the design, construction and materials.

 

Arrange a visit to the Barratt Green House and the rest of the BRE Innovation Park using our online booking system, calling 0845 22 32 966 or emailing innovationpark@bre.co.uk