VELUX unveils plans to build model carbon neutral home with a difference

30 July 2009

VELUX has today launched its Model Home 2020 project for the UK. Through the design and build of two new semi detached properties in Kettering, home to its UK Sales and Marketing office, VELUX aims to provide an example of sustainable homes that are both appealing to the consumer while remaining affordable and easily replicable for the mass housebuilding market.

VELUX has identified a number of partners who have formed a competence group to ensure the successful delivery of this project by quarter two of 2010. Key partners are: HTA Architects; Willmott Dixon; North Northants Development Company (NNDC) and Kettering Borough Council.

Still in its initial stages, VELUX is currently working closely with Kettering Borough Council and NNDC to identify and secure a suitable site to construct what is expected to be a pair of three bedroom and four bedroom semi detached, carbon neutral homes. HTA Architects, which has extensive experience in the regeneration and sustainability sector, will then work alongside Willmott Dixon and the other partners to design and deliver the project.

Kevin Brennan, Head of Sustainability at VELUX Company Ltd, comments:

"The Model Home 2020 project is part of our wider strategy to take an active part in developing sustainable buildings. However, unlike similar projects and experiments that have already taken place, our aim is to build a UK carbon neutral home that reflects the important balance between energy design and a high living factor.

"The project aims to prove that it is possible to build energy efficient housing that is both appealing to the consumer and can be easily and affordably replicated by the volume housebuilder. The homes must have a high liveability factor and must not require their occupants to considerably alter their lifestyle in order to maintain their home’s energy efficiency. Instead, we want to prove that you can build carbon neutral homes that people can afford to buy and want to live in."

Ben Derbyshire, Managing Director of HTA, adds:

"We are delighted to be selected by VELUX to assist them in realising their vision of a home for 2020. We have always believed that the experience of the homeowner should be central to sustainable housing design. By adopting an open and collaborative approach with our partners we plan to demonstrate that a sustainable and liveable design can be realised in an affordable and repeatable way".

Andrew Frost, Head of WD Re-Thinking Ltd, comments:

"A key purpose of this project is to demonstrate that sustainable homes are buildable now, affordable now, attractive today and in the future, desirable, responsibly sourced and most importantly; that they deliver in practice, what they promise in the design. A most exciting project to be involved in.

"Too many projects to-date are not readily transferable to the mass market; and some may argue, are places people would not actually want to live in. This project will ensure the houses built are rooted in reality."

Councillor Jim Hakewill, Leader of Kettering Borough Council, comments:

"I am absolutely delighted that Kettering Borough is the selected search location for this excellent VELUX initiative. The Borough Council is always keen to support appropriate green initiatives. I can think of nothing more appropriate than developing pioneering homes that will, in a few short years, be relevant to the local housing market, real homes for real people. I am particularly enthusiastic about the way in which VELUX wants to consider the lifestyle of people living in low carbon homes as this will be the key to greater acceptance both from the house building industry and their customers in the future."

Simon Evans, Chief Executive of North Northants Development Company, added:

"This exciting project is a perfect reflection of our wider aspirations for North Northamptonshire. Over the last few years, this area has been driving growth with world-class design and infrastructure projects. VELUX’s plans balance the area’s desire for growth with the need for eco-friendly construction methods and an enhanced quality of life for residents."

The wider VELUX Model Home 2020 project incorporates plans to build six one-to-one experiments between 2008 to 2010, in the form of six demonstration houses.The houses will all reflect and respond to three main principles – efficient energy design, high living factor and minimum climate impact – as well as the different climatic, cultural and architectural conditions of the countries in which they are.

The six experiments will be placed at six different locations in five different European countries. The homes will be open to the public for 6-12 months after completion, after which time they will be sold below the market price. In return, VELUX will continue to monitor the experiments with the new residents in order to learn how the buildings perform in real life conditions.

By 2009, the houses will have been built in Denmark (Copenhagen, Aarhus) and Austria, with the UK, Germany and France following in 2010. Each house will also have a number of local and regional partners, suppliers, architects, engineers and researchers.

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