London Road, Kirton
Using weberwall brick to help exceed Future Homes Standard
As a company that wants to make a difference in the world of lightweight construction, sustainability drives everything we do at Weber.
Platform Housing Group is one of the clients exploring the benefits of MMC when it comes to affordable housing. It has worked with offsite manufacturer LoCaL Homes to create 41 affordable energy-efficient homes in Kirton, Lincolnshire.
The development, comprising a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom homes, includes six bungalows built to meet the Future Homes Standard set to come into force in 2025 – a first for the housing association.
The bungalows were made using the ECO200 system, a low-carbon closed timber frame panel system with factory-fitted triple-glazed windows, PV panels on the roof, and air source heat pumps. The remaining 35 houses in this project have been constructed using the manufacturer’s ECO100 timber frame. The ECO100 and ECO200 homes will achieve U-values of 0.25W/m2K and 0.15W/m²K respectively.
Blending traditional with modern
Although clients are more open to MMC, many still want new build homes to have a traditional appearance. In fact, around 70% of the UK’s new homes are built with a brick façade.
Therefore, while the industry wants to embrace MMC, it’s clear to see that there is still a demand for a traditional type of finish. This is something Platform Housing wanted to achieve, which was made possible by weberwall brick. It provides clients with something that looks traditional but represents the way of the future because it’s a modern method of construction.
LoCaL Homes’ staff were trained by our applications team in how to apply weberwall brick – which can be installed up to three times faster than traditional brick slip.
From factory floor to final foundations
Once the panels had been finished with weberwall brick at the LoCaL Homes factory in Walsall, they were transported to the site on London Road in Kirton. This is where the panels were craned into position on the concrete slab bases where they are locked together with a simple tongue and groove fixture.
Being far lighter than traditional brick slip systems, weberwall brick is not only easier to transport but also places less stress on the frame and foundations. Over the course of a square metre, it is 20kg lighter than a traditional brick skin, which over 100sqm equates to the equivalent of two tonnes.
By using LoCaL Homes’ closed panel system complemented by weberwall brick, the main contractor – Burmor Construction – greatly reduced the need for other equipment and materials on site. This was especially important as the bungalows were completed during the final phase of the project and space was limited owing to their location on site. As a result, there was also a reduction in the movement of traffic and transportation.
These homes in Kirton provide an excellent example of how traditional finishes can be expertly integrated with MMC.
