The Stewart Milne Group's Sigma Home

"Arranged over four floors to maximise footprint and affordability, a split-level, semi-open-plan format enables personal space, flexibility and communication throughout."

Stewart Milne Group

The Sigma Home's design addresses the need for high density living. The house is the height of a large three-storey, pitched roof property, but is arranged over four levels to minimise the building footprint and maximise affordability. As many as 45 units will fit into one hectare of land.

Flexibility - the design can use a range of external renders and timber features, and can be clad in many different finishes to give a unique, personalised character to each development. The house also shows how the ground floor can be sub-divided either into a living and working unit, accommodation for a lodger or dependent relative, or into a studio apartment. This provides a range of buying options for different family mixes, and means that the arrangements can be altered over time if the owner's needs change.

Low carbon - the design aims to achieve a 100% reduction in CO₂ emissions from space and water heating and lighting needs. This results from high levels of thermal performance and airtightness, good solar design, and the integration of solar thermal, photovoltaic and micro-wind technologies for generating renewable energy.

Passive ventilation - the home's open stairwell provides integral passive ventilation, with a solar chimney, which allows moist, warm air to rise and escape from the top and draw in fresh air at the bottom.

Family test -as part of research to monitor the performance of the house - its airtightness, air quality, thermal comfort levels and energy efficiency - a family has lived in it for four periods of two weeks, one period for each season of the year. Its members have generally been very satisfied with the house and have provided valuable feedback that will help in the development of the next generation of homes.

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