Building work has started on a timber frame development which could form a blueprint for environmentally-friendly housing.
Housing association United Welsh, which is undertaking the Silver Street project at Pontywaun with Caerphilly County Borough Council, specified timber frame principally for environmental reasons.
London-based PCKO Architects has designed the four flats and three houses, to be manufactured by the Homes Factory Ltd of Dartford.
Caerphilly-based United Welsh’s initiative follows its successful application for funding to draw up a suite of new “pattern book” housing designed to strengthen energy efficiency and cut out waste. Solar power and low energy supplies and fittings will feature, while houses are to be south-facing to maximise natural light and heat.
The designs go beyond the Welsh Assembly’s pattern book, which stipulates minimum standards for affordable housing. United Welsh hopes its higher levels of environmental sustainability may eventually be shared across all housing associations.
United Welsh spokesperson Nathan Vann said: “We have used timber frame in quite a few of our recent development over the last three to four years, basically because of speed of construction. With this scheme the environmetnal issues were more at the forefront of our thinking.”