Building type Domestic
Building age post 2000
Location
Cost of work 556,000
District Waveney
Features Air Source Heat Pumps,Biomass Boiler,Insulation and Glazing

This inspiring property was winner of the Grand Designs ‘Home of the Year’ Award 2013.

The house achieves its modest but challenging ambition to be highly contextual and recognisable as a Suffolk house, but also clearly of its time and inspiring. It is at once generous and outward looking but also intimate and warm, tailored but flexible, modern, but classic.

Long Farm achieves Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Sustainability Features

Highly insulated structure with timber frame injected with re-cycled newspaper insulation – minimising heat loss though walls, floors and roof. Air source heat pump for heating and hot water provision. Wood burning stoves provide a back up heating source.

 

Design Process

  • Annual energy/CO2 consumption for space and water heating (excluding any contributions from onsite renewables): (heating 18,177 kWh, hot water 2,693 kWh) =20,870 kWhrs
  • Annual energy/CO2 consumption for electrical usage (excluding any contributions from onsite renewables: 107kWh/m2 per year (heating, hot water, Lighting, ventilation)
  • Total Annual CO2 emissions/m² treated floor area: 16.48 kg/m2
  • EPC rating: 75
  • Renewable energy systems that are incorporated into the design: 2 No. woodburning stoves: – Firefox 5: 4.9kW output and 78% efficiency; – Jotul No 4: 51,000 BTU output 76% efficiency

 

Grants

 

Green Lifestyle

 

Evaluation

Long Farm aims to be a sustainable building in the following ways:

Built to last

  • Materials and building components have been selected to ensure the house lasts indefinitely and weathers well, with minimum maintenance
  • The plan of the house and outbuildings has been designed to allow flexibility for future occupants.

Minimal Heat Loss

  • The structure of the building has been highly insulated in order to minimise heat loss, while still allowing generous areas in order to maximise daylight provision and solar gain and for architectural purposes.
  • Very high U values were achieved throughout the building envelope.
  • Average figures: walls and roof 0.17m2/K, floors 0.20Wm2//K, windows 1.64Wm2/K
  • The timber frame in walls and roof is sheathed either side and the cavity injected with Warmcell 500 (recycled newspaper)
  • The ground floor is highly insulated with 75mm PUR foil backed insulation between a beam and block floor and 80mm screed
  • High performance factory made windows: Velfac V400 system

Energy Efficient Heating Source, with renewable back up

  • An Altherma air source heat pump for heating and hot water provision has been installed (efficiency rating 250%).  This operates an underfloor heating system with room sensors and programmable thermostats in each room, with master controller to oversee the system and monitor heating usage and performance.  Netmonitor software allows the whole system to be operated remotely via the internet.
  • Back up/supplementary heating from renewable energy is provided by two log burners, in kitchen and living areas at either ends of the house.

 

Suppliers and Professional Services Used

Designed by Lucy Marston Architects

Structural Engineer, David Cantrill, JP Chick & Partners

Contractor: Robert Norman Construction

 

Awards

Winner of the Grand Designs ‘Home of the Year’ Award 2013