MartineHamiltonKnight.jpg "Above living room. Copyright Martine Hamilton Knight")
Follow Zero Carbon House on Twitter!Winner of a RIBA award for architectural excellence in 2010
A unique zero carbon house has been built in inner city Birmingham, to meet the stringent requirements of Level 6 of the UK Code for Sustainable Homes. It’s an eco-house that will produce at least as much energy as it consumes, and it’s been built around an existing house!
Designed by John Christophers of Associated Architects as a family home, the ground-breaking carbon-neutral building is now being lived in. It’s an extension of a redbrick Victorian house, converting a 2-bedroom semi-detached into a 4-bedroom dwelling with a studio loft. It extends upwards and outwards: upwards to catch the sun otherwise obscured by a taller neighbouring house, sideways for more space. The original 1840 brick house is preserved, as are the mature ash trees in the garden. Integration with the surroundings is important, and the design takes account of the neighbouring architecture.
There’s a short video tour from Midlands Today on youtube.
The house is part of the Old Home Super Home network.
“I have seen the future – and it’s in Birmingham.” – Ruth Bloomfield’s cover story in The Times property section, Friday 11 June.
Green Building magazine summer 2010 edition cover story & 8-page feature.
High angle May sunshine floods into the double-height living room
The design conforms to Level 6 (the highest level) of the new Code for Sustainable Homes. It’s not the first Level 6 house under the sun, but as far as we know it’s the first in the UK to incorporate an existing building, and may be the first to be lived in. (For similar projects, or to record yours, see other Level 6 and zero-carbon houses). Architectural flair, user-friendliness, and a pleasing living space are as much a part of the design as the demands of the Code.
This is another milestone in the history of eco-homes and energy-efficient buildings in the UK – seven years ahead of the government target, which decrees that all new homes should be carbon-neutral by 2016. We see it as a contribution to the groundswell towards green lifestyles and the enjoyment of a sustainable way of life, in the shadow of global warming caused by human emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. It’s designed to protect the environment and enable its occupants to enjoy the environment.
Contractors: SpellerMetcalfe
Environmental design consultant: Matthew Hill at Leeds Environmental Design Associates
Structural engineers: Richard Hartshorne at Shire Consulting
Inspiring, prophetic and wonderful juxtapositions of established and pioneering. Good to see the process, the relationships, structural justice and social history being key building blocks.
Given that younger people are often more attuned to environmental issues have you thought of inviting Blue Peter or local equivalent to do a feature?
Thanks for comments. Philip – we are involving the school opposite, who are very interested in making links with their teaching. About 40 of them just made a site visit. We’ll ask Blue Peter if they’re interested!
I would like to receive some more information and high res. images abnout this projects to write an article that will be published on some of our magazines.
Dear friends
I read that a Halifax Estate Agency survey has failed to find one home in the Uk whose Home Energy Performance certificate is A rated. You could be first! Interesting to have that and a valuation to see what you have added to the value of the property.
John N
I think your Open Day on 13th April was very inspiring. People realy need to see the materials and construction to get the idea. The turnout was brilliant- seemd like 100 people to me. I was especailly excited to hear that the tree surgery on the ash trees in the garden has provided enough wood to warm you through a number of winters. Birmingham is said to have more trees than the Black Forest in Germany…
Your amazing project is certainly ambitious and I wish you all the best for bringing it to conclusion over the next months. it will be amazing when finished!
Great to see progress on this – how unusual to hear the builders are three weeks AHEAD of programme!
It looks as though you might be setting the standard for sustainable construction in an existing urban environment. Nice to see all is going well and that there is a great deal of interest. Look forward to seeing it for myself.
I think its a great idea & when its finshed it will be famous
The house already transmits a feeling of contemplation, warmth and
inspiration and it hasn’t even got people living in it yet! the love and
enthusiasm that you have given to this project becomes clear to see.
Well Done on your Zero Carbon House!
I was very impressed when I came to your Open Day on Saturday. I look forward to seeing the house again when it’s finished.
I hope you have chosen insulation with decrement delay (thermal lag) characteristics for the sloping roof with space below
A very important consideration; we are using Natural Building Technologies woodfibre based “Pavatherm” boards which have a pretty good decrement factor. For those not familiar with this, it will typically delay the transfer of heat from outside to inside on a hot summer’s day to reduce over-heating. Apart from the roof, all the walls and floors have between 203mm/275mm/57mm of dense clay blockwork or rammed clay to give excellent decrement factors elsewhere.
I was pointed in your direction by Colin Dyas. Great project. We recently helped make an Edwardian manor house virtually self sufficient, installing wind, solar PV, and an Air source heat pump. Would love to pop down to see the project some time.
I am really pleased to see a Level 6 incorporating an existing property! This site is an excellent resource too. Best wishes Jan
Thanks Jan- we think we may well be a UK-first in attempting this: many people have said it is not possible, too expensive, too complex, too much hassle … we are in the last few months of construction now and it has been challenging but great FUN!
I think there must be quire a few other house similarly converted. I know of atleast four similarly converted houses here in North Cornwall. Still, some interesting ideas wortyh copying!
Checkout out Transition websites, e.g. http://www.TransitionNC.org
Take our house, Cottage Farm – heat store used to heat water 365 days a year and the house using existing central heating radiators, heat store charged by watr heating solar panels, wood burner and electric top up heater. All electricity from wind turbine and PV panels. All wood from our own little woodland. All water from a bore hole. All diesel from waste vegetable oil.
Have I left anything out? Oh yes, most veg & fruit from garden, own poultry and eggs, plus organic local breed grass only production of beef and lamb.
Sustainability does not stop at the front door!
Your project looks really interesting! Where is the house? Tide~ global learning works with groups of teachers exploring global issues and developing creative curriculum activities for schools. We are doing quite a lot of work with teachers around climate change in Birmingham and it would be really good if we could share your project with them if that would be ok.
Dears Jo,John & Theo,
Well Done your Zero Carbon House.
I wish I were there to see your Open Day.
Can’t wait to see you soon.( But when ????)
Gongratulations!
Mabrooooook
Salwa Abu Salem
I am a Quantity Surveying student at Liverpool John Moores University and am currently working on my dissertation, in which I am investigating the cost of achieving level 6 homes in self build projects and the commercially viability of this standard.
I would be more than grateful if you could forward any information which may assist me in my work specifically on the true cost of developments of this nature.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks
A very ‘grand’ design! Looking forward to the next open day
Congratulations – a realistic time for the contractor to do a quality job. Looking forward to seeing inside on the open day on Saturday.
Are you or have you been able to monitor temperatures without any “gadgets”, solar, PV etc?
I’d be interested to compare it to our house nearby which drops about 1/2 degree C per day when outside conditions drop to near freezing (i.e. about 10 degree difference inside to outside causes a rise or fall of 1/2 degree) due to its thermal mass and some external insulation (the drop in in unheated slightly draughty areas and without double glazing as yet this “winter”). (That is, if you can measure before next summer and save data for reply when you get time!)
For graham cargill – please feel free to phone me and speak about the cost of achieving level 6 – 0121 449 0278.
Excellent! My son and I really enjoyed the open day, especially John’s talk – the only pity is that we didn’t know about previous open days. It’s so important to give serious thought (and action) to existing housing like this project and not just new builds.
Hello there, I heard about this on The One Show and couldn’t make the opening day on Saturday 14th. Would like to know if you will be doing another open day as would love to look around.
An interresting and eye catching design. The zero carbon qualities of the design are an inspiration. The sheer ugliness of the building and the way it clashes horribly with the rest of the street’s buildings is exceptional and a shining example to all of how not to do things. This style of architecture should be illegal.
I couldn’t let angry Pat have the last word.. he (she?) might have a point, but its a shame to reward John’s generosity of spirit, sharing his knowledge freely, with rude comments. I’m sure many people find the design challenging, but I was inspired by it. There are many really nice touches – for example the pop out bay in the studio giving a spectacular view over the city centre. Of course the real merit of the building is its low environmental impact. The huge attention to every detail is evident and this applies to the architecture as well as the environmental aspect of the design.
Like it or hate it, surely we should all applaud the fact that an “expert” has decided to freely share his knowlege with all of us. How many of us would do the same – and risk attracting criticism that over steps the mark.
Hi, how exciting.By pure chance i turned the telly on to see the last part of a feature on your house.I would love to know more and wonder if you are planning any open days for 2010.
Dear John and Jo
I attended your open day with my husband and loved your amazing house and everything you have done. I also edit The Vegan magazine (the magazine of The Vegan Society). As most of our members are also environmentalists I thought that they would be very interested to read an article about your zero carbon house. Would you be able to write up to 1,000 words about this wonderful project?
Kind regards
Rosamund Raha
We are planning another open day on Sunday 28 March, as part of a week of local green activities being organised with BALSALL HEATH IS OUR PLANET. RSVP at http://zerocarbonhousebirmingham.org.uk/home/open-afternoon-sunday-28th-march/
This looks amazing. I visted John Newson’s house earlier last year and he’s just told me about this one.
I’m really interested in how you the house has helped you through these severe weather conditions. The Telegraph reported an extra £70 on our january bills, but what do your readings show?
Hi Christopher,
Me and a collegue of mine are currently doing an MA in Television at Birmingham City University. And we just came across your concept of a Zero carbon house. As we are doing a small feature on Eco friendly living, we would love to feature your project in our short documentary.
As you will be having an open day for your project on the 28th of March, we would love to come down and meet you and discuss it further if you would be free that day.
If the 28th is not a possibility and you would be busy with other commitments, please let us know when you will be free. It would be great to have a chat.
Regards,
Norten Menezes
(07942844070)
Where abouts is it in Balsall Heath?
Hi John
I live in a 4 bed detached house. Where would I begin to get quotes and designs to make my home as efficient as yours?
On my top 10 visits this year. Brilliant
Thank you and your family most sincerely for generously opening your magnificent home today. You have achieved something really quite remarkable and your translation of vision into reality is truly inspirational, as was your impromptu and fascinating presentation. Quite
aside from all the exemplary green aspects, I was also deeply impressed by your skilful use of space and light. The house seemed quite “Tardis” like
and I hope you all enjoy many happy years in it. It also reminded me of the successful integration (and fluidity) of living space and immediate environment in leading contemporary Japanese domestic architecture.
Finally, it also seemed to have a grounded, peaceful and entirely human scale and feel.
Your Open House event today was brilliant, and we’d like to thank you very much for arranging it. To us country folk Birmingham is a bit daunting, but you demonstrated such warmth in your welcome and commitment to the cause of sustainable living that totally debunked the stereotype!
We greatly enjoyed our visit to 103 and thank you very much for your generosity in having open house so that people like us can begin to understand what it means to build a zero carbon home.
From my point of view it was lovely to see the finished article – the clever use of shutters, the finishes (particularly the clay floors), the use of
mirrors, etc. One day I hope to see it in the dark to experience your lighting!
I hope the place was not too knocked about as a
result of such an influx of people!
Well what a triumph John. Well done. I travelled down a similar path but was deflected by all sorts of excuses and short cuts which we can avoid on
our own houses! So why do the govt not up the building regs to level 6 NOW.
I suppose only the green party would do such a thing. It is good news about the rate of exchange on green tarrifs, something I have been campaigning for for some time. [email to T Blair etc 2006!!] It is such an easy fix and at little cost to anyone.
Just wanted to say thanks to you and your family for inviting us to look around your wonderful, inspiring home today.
How did you manage the ‘in keeping with the surrounding’ rules that normally apply?
We will put the planning documents on the web site shortly. Although the design is modern, its building line, scale, roof colour & pitch, brick and render materials, rich roofscape like many of the Arts & Crafts houses around, etc were all designed to relate very carefully to the surroundings. But in a 21st century way, not pretending to be 19th century!
I came along to the open house yesterday – really enjoyed looking around the place.
Thank you very much for letting us know about the above open day. We were most interested to see how the house had finally come together using all the different natural materials. It is very different from Cobtun but a natural progression. We went to Ecobuild and spent a full day there so perhaps we are beginning to understand a little of the theory behind the design.
I am green with envy at the heated towel rails and the bathroom flooring!
Hello, Thanks for such an inspiring day!! Yr house is amaaazing and v beautiful.
As no doubt many people have said to you as a result of Sunday, you and you house are a true inspiration.
Not only was the message of creating exciting architecture out of the sustainability agenda well made, I was particularly impressed with your concern about embedded energy of components, which increasingly seem to forgotten about as sustainability becomes commercialised.
Thanks so much for letting us look round
Very inspiring – would really like to do solar heating now to save money with our heating bills.
So impressed – beautiful home
Enjoyed the visit – impressed most by the light – would like to know more about heating/water usage system.
Loved it – mirrors, light & wood!!
FANTASTIC. BEAUTIFUL. INSPIRING! A WORK OF ART & FANTASTIC ACHIEVEMENT
Friends of the Earth’s publications team is looking to speak to families who have or are getting solar panels fitted on their homes and who will benefit from the feed-in tariff. Pls email asap if interested!
If this home has achieved an EPC rating ‘A’ or other wise known as ‘A rated’ we would be more than happy to promote through our up and coming property site. We can also promote the contractors who have made the house a success.
Hello John, I have been reading about your cosy home with much interest and wondered if you would come and talk about it at my fuel poverty forum in Birmingham in June? Many Thanks – Wendy