Shropshire Rural Housing Association are an organisation which was founded to provide affordable homes to rural, farming communities. etc Design Ltd were recommended by South Shropshire Housing Association, based on our long and successful relationship with them.  The Association wanted to provide aspirational and affordable rural housing, which deviated from the low design quality of the existing local housing stock.

The project was community led, based on a lack of local affordable housing, and was fully supported by the Parish Council throughout the full journey. As our Client wished to minimise the disruption to local residents, off site manufacturing was undertaken via a panelised system. The houses, needed to achieve Code for Sustainable Homes level 4, Lifetime Homes and Secured by Design accreditation.

The developed scheme is distinctly different from the surrounding houses, although it followed the local staggered building pattern.  The low energy OSM system worked well with our fabric first approach, and drove the design to utilise timber effect cladding and render, mirroring the wider rural context, rather than the village itself.  With large ‘barn door’ style windows to the south, and smaller windows to the north, the site made best use of passive solar design. This in combination with the use of community Ground Source Heat Pumps to heat the homes, assist in preventing fuel poverty for residents.

etc Design Ltd were appointed to undertake a full architectural service and Code for Sustainable Homes Assessment up to early Stage 4, including feasibility studies, developing design options, planning consultations, discussions with and submissions to planning, and production of 3D visuals of the site.  When the project was tendered as a Design and Build Contract, etc Design Ltd were subsequently novated to the Main Contractor.  There was a high amount of collaboration and cooperation between us, the Main Contractor, OSM Sub-Contractor and Employer to ensure smooth running of the project.