Barnesville Close, Birmingham
The UK is grappling with a significant affordable housing crisis, with over 1.3 million families currently waiting for homes. In the last decade, the country has lost a staggering 177,487 social homes. This crisis is exacerbated by a shortage of skilled labor in traditional construction methods and rising energy costs that leave many families struggling. Additionally, new legislation requires homes to meet energy efficiency standards by 2025, making the need for sustainable solutions more urgent than ever.
In response to these challenges, Saint-Gobain has introduced EnveoVent, an innovative offsite structural external wall system designed to deliver high-quality, sustainable housing more quickly and efficiently than traditional methods.
Pilot project with Midland Heart
Midland Heart, one of the largest housing associations in the Midlands, is on a mission to deliver 3,750 new social homes by 2025. Recognizing the pressing need for affordable housing, they partnered with Saint-Gobain and TR Partnership Homes to pilot the EnveoVent system at Barnesville Close in Small Heath, Birmingham. This development features 12 energy-efficient homes, specifically designed to exceed the new Future Homes Standard regulations, ensuring comfort and sustainability for residents.
Tony Hopkin, Head of Development at Midland Heart, emphasizes the urgency of the situation: “There is a critical shortfall of decent, affordable homes across the UK, and the Midlands is no exception. We are committed to reducing the housing shortage by building quality, affordable homes that our region desperately needs.”
Advantages of EnveoVent
EnveoVent is a collaboration among five Saint-Gobain brands—British Gypsum, Isover, Weber, Scotframe, and Okarno—bringing together their expertise into a fully tested solution. This insulated structural system provides a comprehensive wall solution that includes internal plasterboard, insulated timber panels, and lightweight external facades.
The offsite manufacturing process allows for consistent quality, reduced waste, and significantly faster project timelines. Once the concrete slab is laid, EnveoVent panels can be craned into place, reducing the time needed to create a wind and watertight shell to just six days, compared to 12-16 weeks for traditional masonry methods.
Steve Thompson, Director at TR Partnership Homes, notes the advantages of this approach: “Traditional builds take weeks to reach the same stage, with delays from weather and material shortages. With EnveoVent, we had homes going up within a week, which was not only faster but also safer and cleaner for everyone involved.”
Energy efficiency and affordability
EnveoVent is specifically designed to meet and exceed the Future Homes Standard, featuring superior insulation, air source heat pumps, and solar panels. This ensures that the homes are not only energy-efficient but also affordable to run. Each property is built to optimize thermal performance, keeping residents warm while significantly lowering energy bills.
Gemma Davey, Development Manager at Midland Heart, highlights the importance of energy efficiency: “Affordability is about more than just rent; it's also about ensuring homes are energy-efficient and cheaper to run. EnveoVent offers superior thermal performance, allowing us to provide homes that residents can truly afford to live in.”
Digital transparency and safety
EnveoVent supports the Building Safety Act 2022 by maintaining a complete digital record of materials and processes used in construction. This commitment to transparency ensures accountability throughout the lifecycle of each home. Gemma explains, “EnveoVent provides housing providers with the reassurance of a high-performing product, designed and delivered by a single source. This clarity means we can be confident in the quality and safety of the homes being built.”
Scalable future solutions
The success of the Barnesville Close pilot has prompted Midland Heart to explore the replication of the EnveoVent system in future projects, while TR Partnership Homes has embraced offsite construction as a core part of its business strategy. The scalability of EnveoVent, suitable for developments ranging from 10 to 500 homes, offers significant potential to address the UK’s housing needs on a national scale.
Nick Cammack, Chief Financial Officer at Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland, states, “This is a Saint-Gobain first in the UK. We are incredibly proud to launch a complete wall solution that has been rigorously tested to deliver the required levels of fire, acoustic, and thermal performance. EnveoVent reflects our commitment to lightweight construction methods and our purpose to make the world a better home.”
As the UK continues to face its housing challenges, innovative solutions like EnveoVent are paving the way for faster, safer, and more sustainable homebuilding—ensuring that families have access to the quality homes they deserve.
Weber solutions for EnveoVent
The EnveoVent system can be finished with a modern render, a traditional brick finish or a combination of both.
weberend MT multi-coat render system is designed for application to an appropriately framed and boarded panel substrate. The render system can be finished with webersil TF a silicone enhanced thin coat render or weberwall brick a lightweight brick effect system.
