context

The research project presented a unique opportunity to gather evidence in support of a route map for the housebuilding sector to accelerate a market-led response to the delivery of low cost, low carbon homes.

---

​Project Context

Project Overview

The house building industry is facing several key issues. The estimation of required new housing is between 232,000 to 300,000 new units per year. In order to meet Climate Change Act (CCA) commitments there is a need for these homes to be low carbon through design rather than reliant on technology and to continue to be low carbon in 2050 and beyond.  
​​
The housebuilding industry has the triple challenge of delivering more homes faster, with lower CO2 emissions, and at affordable cost rather than no capital cost penalty. Achieving this will require innovation in every area and improved co-ordination across the traditional disciplines and construction stages.

Homes with low energy demand through their design should have reduced running costs and assist in combatting fuel poverty. However, it is acknowledged that low carbon homes are likely to use electricity rather than gas for space heating and hot water, and that electricity has a much higher unit cost than gas. Developers and designers must take this into account to ensure low energy bills are achieved.

The research had two main components:

• Social research into attitudes of key stakeholders – funders, developers, designers, contractors, residents and potential occupants/purchasers
• Physical research - how are low cost, low carbon homes funded, designed and built, and how do they perform with a range of occupants?

Furthermore, there is a need to understand where the cutting edge of innovation is in relation to housing construction. The project took a holistic building performance evaluation view - learning lessons by tracking developments from the strategic brief and the decision to invest, through design, planning and construction, to handover and post occupancy evaluation. 

---