Pictured: John Barnham, Orbit Heart of England & Stuart
Turner, Orbit Homes © Philippa Gedge Photography
Orbit Homes recently accepted the Silver award in the Best
Sustainable Development category of the What House? Awards
2011.
The What House? Awards, now in their 30th year, are amongst the
most coveted and prestigious awards for house builders and
developers of any size.
Orbit Homes, with funding from the Homes and Communities Agency,
invested £3 million in the construction of 23 new affordable
and energy efficient homes at the site. The new eco homes comprise
of 18 flats and 5 houses and are managed by Orbit Heart of England.
The construction was carried out using Modern Methods of
Construction, including extensive use of highly insulated,
pre-assembled timber frame panels which enabled fast and efficient
construction times. The environmentally friendly technology used in
these homes means that they can cost as little as a few pounds a
week to heat.
In coming to their conclusion Judges commented, Sampson Close,
was selected because the Passivhaus certification that has been
achieved requires an attention to detail and discipline that is
currently way beyond most designers and contractors in the UK. To
date, Passivhaus homes in the UK have largely been the preserve of
a few luxury ecohomes but not now - not now that Sampson Close has
shown that this is achievable on a substantial scale. This scheme
is truly paving the way for others, less brave than
Orbit's pioneers, to follow in their footsteps.
John Barnham, Head of Sustainable Investment at Orbit Heart of
England said: "This award demonstrates the industry's recognition
of the innovative work Orbit Heart of England is leading within the
West Midlands, which forms part of our organisational goals to meet
the climate change challenge."