Open homes 2016

An Edwardian family on a corner plot with the following carbon saving features:

• Focus upon maximum insulation where practical plus renewable heat (wood) and hot water (solar)
• Wooden suspended floors with 80mm ‘Thermafleece’ sheeps wool insulation & boarding
• All internal faces of external walls insulated with 10mm ‘Sempatap’ internal wall insulation
• Attic roof insulation of 100mm Kingspan, plasterboard plus 10mm ‘Sempatap’
• Refurbished sash windows with ‘Magneglaze’ secondary glazing on all windows
• Draft reduction through double doors to attic (& letter box!), heavy curtains,
• New condensing boiler, replaced old 15-20 year old boiler. TRVs added.
• Two wood burning stoves (‘Clearview Vision’ in living room heats whole house)
• 2 x 2m2 solar panels for thermal hot water with large well insulated tank (‘AOS Solar’)
• Continuous running low energy heat recovery fan in bathroom (‘Vent Axia – Lo Carbon’)
• Low energy lighting throughout
• Water saving devices include; low flow shower, low flow washers in most taps
• Living wall, pond and vegetables in garden plus pallet shed with green roof

Yewtree Close, N10

A timber-framed detached home built in the 1980s with the following carbon saving features:

• Argon filled 12mm double glazing in aluminium frames (except on south side)
• Kingspan “Thermwall”, 100mm rigid, foiled insulation, new ply board with sealed joints
• Celotex GA400 100mm rigid roof insulation with foil backing
• Celotex GA400 100mm rigid floor insulation with foil backing
• New windows and door draught sealed
• Air source heat pumps for underfloor heating and hot water
• 16 photo voltaic panels with total 4kW peak
• New high performance wood burning stove
• 100% LED and some compact fluorescent
• Low energy appliances throughout
• Water saving: 1000ltr rainwater butts
• Instant boiling water (no kettle)

Outram Road, N22

Edwardian terraced house which has undergone a complete refurbishment to exacting green standards

• loft and roof insulation,
• Double glazing with bespoke new windows
• Efficient lighting throughout
• tanking and cellar insulation. 
• Eco-refurbishment with retention of original features, eg stained glass, fireplace, flooring, internal doors

Palace Gates Road, N22

Semi-detached Victorian home which has undergone an extensive eco-renovation

• Internal wall insulation to front elevation
• External wall insulation to side and rear elevation.
• Loft insulation
• Double-glazing with trickle vents installed in all windows
• 3.8kWp Solar PV, comprising 16 Panasonic south facing panels plus opti-immersion for hot water heating. Installation combined with renewal and strengthening of roof.
• Gas boiler and radiator rationalisation
• Replaced conventional and halogen lighting with energy saving.

Barrington Road, London N8

• approach based on maximum insulation, water-saving and use of solar electricity and solar hot water
• 50 mm of external insulation to side gable and extension walls
• 55 mm of internal insulation to front and rear bays
• part of loft floor covered with 270 mm Knauf loftroll, remainder has loftroll inserted to top of joists, and then laid with 50 mm of insulated MDF to form load-bearing surface
• front windows and majority of other windows double-glazed
• installation of new Worcester Bosch condensing boiler
• provision of Uponor underfloor heating (wet system) to ground floor
• installation of RainWater Harvesting rainwater catchment system – supplying 2 toilets & washing machine
• dual flush WCs – giving 3.5 litre and 2.6 litre minimum flushes
• 11W LED ceiling lights provided to wet-room
• PV (Solar Electricity) installation of 12 x 235W ET Solar panels = 2.82 kW
• evacuated tube solar water heater – Barilla Solar DeltaSol C Plus
• all timber certificated as sustainable, and recycled plastic covering to bathroom wall

Nelson Road, N8
Crouch End flat with:

• Solar PV and thermal panels
• Low energy heating and lighting
• Wildlife-friendly garden

Warner Road, N8

Edwardian 3-storey terraced house with:

• thorough insulation and draught-proofing.
• Ceiling insulation to top floor bedrooms and kitchen roof.
• Double- and secondary glazing.

The Meadow Orchard Eco Hut

• Straw Bale wall
• Cob wall
• Reclaimed timber reciprocal roof
• Double and triple glazed windows
• Timber shutters made from re-purposed pallets
• Rammed earth tyres
• Clay plastering
• Lime rendering
• Passive solar design
• Low impact building techniques
• Locally  sourced materials
• Cob pizza oven
• Permaculture principles embedded in the design
• Built by volunteers