Gentoo, with the help of £200,000 investment from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has built 28-revolutionary low energy bungalows utilising the highly energy efficient German ‘PassivHaus’ standard.

First developed in Germany in 1990 ‘PassivHaus’ homes provide excellent living conditions during summer and winter, without the need for a traditional heating system. Located in Houghton-le-Spring, this development is believed to be the first PassivHaus scheme of this scale in the UK to achieve formal PassivHaus accreditation from the Building Research Establishment (BRE).

The homes rely on solar gain, air tightness and super high standards of insulation. The building fabric significantly reduces energy consumption (by 75% compared to building regulations) and helps reduce carbon emissions by around 80%. Passive heat is mainly gained from sunshine through the windows, but is also generated from people and appliances in the home. The heat is then recovered and re-circulated using a Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery (MVHR) system.

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Together with their PassivHaus design consultant, Devereux Architects, Gentoo created a stringent site induction process and Quality Assurance system to respond to the specific demands of this development. As such, Gentoo has achieved a level of construction quality far in excess of the UK norm.

Peter Walls, Chief Executive of Gentoo said: "Gentoo is proud to be known for pushing the boundaries of housing design and when our research into carbon reduction led us to the PassivHaus concept, we knew we needed to bring it to the region. The build quality was unique and a challenge for everyone involved - however, the power of collective working has helped us to champion this innovative and unique project.

"With housing accounting for around 27% of the UK's total carbon emissions and the continuing rise in the cost of domestic energy bills in the UK, it is hoped that our approach will assist in the fight against fuel poverty and help set a precedent for reaching the Government’s overall carbon reduction targets by 2050."

(CD/GK)