We are very pleased to have secured planning and conservation area consent for the thermal retrofit of three types of non-typical house in Barnet, for a pilot project run by Barnet Homes. One of the pilot scheme houses is timber-framed with timber cladding, the second is a mix of concrete panels and steel sheet cladding, and the third is steel-framed with steel sheet cladding. Our brief from Barnet Homes is to insulate these cold, leaky homes, and reduce their energy needs so much that they require no carbon emissions to heat them.
The unusual methods used to construct each of these buildings means they cannot be insulated using standard methods. For example the steel-clad building cannot be treated with cavity wall insulation because the steel sheets would act as an impermeable layer that would trap condensation and corrode the steel. An added complication is that two of the houses are in the Watling Estate Conservation Area, which means their appearance is protected.
Barnet Homes has several hundred similar houses which would also be upgraded following our designs, so the project will have a big, positive impact on the people of the borough, and a significant carbon saving.