UPTON PHASE 1, NORTHAMPTON

  Client: Hilton Building Services Ltd

  Architect: Franklin Ellis

  Main Contractor: Mansell Construction Ltd

Energi Consulting Services Ltd provided the electrical services estimate, the preliminary designs and the working drawings for Hilton Building Services. We also assisted with the project management, we created fully priced  materials schedules per dwelling so that the M&E contractor could call off materials when required. We also arranged materials samples, provided specialist sub-contractor quotes for intruder, access control, TV systems etc and carried out periodic site inspections of the installation.

Sustainable Urban Extension

Site D1 is described as a "sustainable urban extension" and utilises all the latest theory and practices associated with energy efficient housing. Phase 1 of the project consisted of 85No new dwellings, 41No apartments and 44No houses. The most significant aspect was the construction of the dwellings which are constructed to ECO Homes 2005. The priority here was thermal mass, therefore both ceilings and floors are made from concrete. There are no plasterboard ceilings within any dwelling and hence no ceiling voids which made the design and installation of the M&E services very challenging to say the least. There are no floor screeds either on 1st and 2nd floors so all low level services had to be chased into the concrete flood flooring system.

Spread across the site between the various dwellings are the following building services "Low Carbon" technologies :-

• Ground source heat pumps

• Air source heat pumps

• Communal wood chip boiler system

• Compact fluorescent lighting

• PV arrays

• Wind turbines

• Whole house ventilation systems

• Rain water recycling

Code 6 Dwellings

Also on the site are a number of Bill Dunster Architects "ZEDfactory Houses" these are Zero Emission Dwellings constructed to the guide for sustainable homes, code 6.

For more information about ZEDFactory Ltd and their products refer to www.zedfactory.com