Hemingway points way to brighter housing future

Much of new housing built in the past seven to eight years is rubbish and the use of environmentally-friendly building products and renewable energy is not enough to create sustainable communities where people can live happily, designer Wayne Hemingway said at TTJ’s Wood Futures Conference last Thursday.

Mr Hemingway, chairman of Building for Life, told more than 140 people at the Royal Festival Hall conference, held in partnership with Medite 2016 and sponsored by Coillte Panel Products, that he was “quietly celebrating” the credit crunch as it could mean the end of faceless box apartment developments built partially to serve the buy-to-let market.

His comments come the day after the government unveiled draft planning rules for the EcoTowns initiative, where developments must feature zero carbon houses.

The Wood Futures “Countdown to Zero” conference, held in association with the TTF and TRADA, was designed to highlight the opportunities and challenges presented by the government’s zero carbon housing target for the timber trade.

Speaker Bob Ledsome, of the Department for Communities and Local Government, said the government would publish a document on the definition of “zero carbon” shortly. He also said the government didn’t want to lock itself into technological blind alleys in delivering zero carbon homes.

Barratt land manger Ben Cook defended the housebuilder’s development record and emphasised the importance of supply chain partnerships in delivering sustainable housing.

Hanham Hall, Barratt’s 200-home Carbon Challenge development in Bristol, features structural insulated panels and timber windows supplied by Kingspan TEK and Jeld-Wen respectively, as well as a community wood-fired boiler.

Timber Trade Federation chief executive John White told the conference that the timber trade needed to be evangelical about wood and its benefits.

“Timber does grow on trees, but it’s not enough just to have a renewable resource.”

Tim Pollard, Wolseley’s head of sustainability, and Rupert Scott, TRADA’s building regulations and codes consultant, both questioned the methodology of the BRE’s Green Guide to Specification.

“I do not yet understand how a PVC window is as sustainable as a timber one,” said Mr Pollard.

Further coverage of Wood Futures will appear in the November 22/29 issue of TTJ.