Wienerberger has announced that work has commenced on its first ever e4 brick house project, utilising a fabric first approach and a clay building envelope to deliver reduced energy needs.
The four detached houses, which will occupy a plot in Hanslope, Milton Keynes, will embody two years of cooperation between Wienerberger and global engineering and design consultancy Arup to develop the e4 brick house concept for the UK market, based on four key elements – energy, economy, environment and emotion.
The development is being built by Tag Information Technology, which had initially planned a timber frame construction for the development but changed its plans when the company heard about Wienerberger’s e4 brick house concept.
Hash Kapadia of Tag Information Technology said:
“The real difference between this and other options for the builder lies in durability, real and perceived quality. The houses are designed to last more than 150 years and should have low ongoing maintenance costs over their extended lifespan.”
Richard Brown, category marketing manager at Wienerberger, said:
“We are very excited to see two years of planning coming to life with the start of our first e4 brick house project. We really believe e4 principles can change the way houses are designed and built in the UK. This project will show the world that the housing industry can truly embrace its obligation to being both eco-friendly and sustainable.”
Paul Surin, head of built environment at Wienerberger, worked closely with Tag Information Technology to apply the Wienerberger e4 brick house concept to their development and provided support and advice on both the design and build aspects of the project.
He said:
“It’s been a pleasure working with Tag, who have really embraced the e4 concept. The ?four e’s’ are embedded in the design of this project and give a great balance between green credentials and usability, which will make the homes both desirable and sustainable.”
Wienerberger says further e4 developments are in the pipeline with housing associations and other developers, while Tag’s Jayant Kapadia is also planning to use the e4 concept in his own home.
Wienerberger also recently announced they are to build an e4 brick house on the BRE Innovation Park, which will be the first house built to the BRE New Homes Standard, launching at Ecobuild in March.
