We are looking forward to presenting at this event organised by The Green Register:

The Green Register's HOT TOPIC 2019: Meet the Future - what will retrofit look like in 2020?

28 November 2019 
The Foundation, Lower Ground Floor, St George’s Road, Bristol, BS1 5BE

See programme and book online

The Green Register's annual Hot Topic conference returns for 2019 featuring a day of talks and case studies celebrating retrofit and asking what the future holds when looking at upgrading our existing building stock.

The speakers are experts within the construction industry from a wide variety of disciplines including architects, contractors, sustainable construction charities, member organisations; all key players within the industry.

Join us for some healthy debate on the topic, great networking and festive food and drink!

More about the Conference

Thanks to activists such as Greta Thunberg, the Climate Emergency - the need to protect our one and only planet from an unsustainable temperature rise - has moved up the agenda for most of us and has generated many pledges to become carbon neutral sometime this side of 2050.

The construction industry is in a key position to provide solutions to meet the Climate Emergency targets, as we already know the measures we need to take to reduce the environmental impact of our buildings; we just need to act swiftly and effectively now.

This is even more important for existing buildings, most of which would not meet even the modest building standards the UK has in place today.
This conference brings together all the key players of the construction industry to give their perspective on both the challenges and solutions to making rapid progress when upgrading our existing building stock.

Presentations include:

• A keynote speech from Sam Balch of the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
• Presentations on the Futureproof Initiative: from Lucy Pedler, TGR and Richard Hatfield, Greenheart Sustainable Construction Ltd on the Builder's Perspective, and from Simon Roberts OBE of the Centre for Sustainable Energy on Bringing Householders and Builders Together
• Philip Campbell of the FMB on the Construction Industry Licensing Campaign 
• Justin Bere of Justin Bere Architects on The Architect’s Perspective
• Nigel Griffiths, STBA on EPCs & The Whole House Approach
• Andy Weeks and Phil Stott, The Planet Mark Start on Building the Market for Retrofit
• Mark Howard, Regen on The Energiesprong Approach
• four fascinating case studies featuring clients, builders, architects and a structural engineer
• and last but not least: 'Fix My Den' Interactive session based - very loosely - on Dragon’s Den with prizes for the winning team!

Attendance is a must for those who are interested in what the future holds for retrofit.

Book online

We have begun work on this contemporary low energy house on a garden plot in Bristol, designed by Emmett Russell Architects.

On this occasion, we are acting as principal contractor and working with architect, engineer and energy consultant to ensure the final product meets the design criteria in every way.

The house will have a super insulated timber frame structure sitting on a conventional concrete raft/trench fill foundation.  Walls will be finished with a combination of local rubble pennant stone on the ground floor and render above, with the roof finished in traditional standing seam Zinc.

Typical of houses that we have built in the last few years this house has not only been designed to near Passivhaus standards, but also uses natural (non petrochemical) products wherever practicable and is looking to the future for its energy supply and ways of living.

Features include:

• Very little space heating required
 - cheap to run 
-  very comfortable
• U values below 0.13
• Airtightness of less than 1 acph
• Minimal cold bridging
• High quality MVHR unit with rigid Lindab ducting
• Careful consideration to maximizing solar gain and eliminating solar overheating
• Photo voltaic panels with potential for battery add on later
• Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) instead of a gas boiler providing hot water and heating
• Electric car charging point provision 

The house is scheduled for a January 2020 finish - keep an eye on our website and Instagram for site updates

We are delighted to be teaming up with The Green Register once again to offer an Introduction to Sustainable Construction - the first of a series of half-day Futureproof training events, which are run 'By Builders For Builders'.
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We'll be returning for a second look at the new build housing scheme for Somewhere Housing Association in Bedminster, Bristol.  Alongside fellow local contractors Earthwise, we will talk about how our method of working results in high quality, sustainable buildings, satisfied clients and proud builders

Ian Mawditt of FourWalls will be testing the building with a blower door test and there will be a demonstration showing how to use a thermal imaging camera to identify cold bridges.

Tom Heywood from The Green Building Store will be giving a Q&A session on the MVHR system that Earthwise have installed.

For full information, and to book a place please visit The Green Register website

Work continues at our single-storey newbuild in France Lynch.  The airtight membrane is nearing completion and the triple glazed windows are now in (more photos to follow).  The single ply roof is in place (thanks Poole SIngle Ply) with sedum yet to come.
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Scroll for photos and original drawings for what will be a super insulated, low impact home in a wonderful spot in Gloucestershire.

Join us a for talk and tour of our latest new build passivhaus project in Nailsea - a three-bedroomed house on an urban infill site.

We have joined forces with The Green Register for this special event on February 22nd.  Richard Hatfield will start by talking about our involvement in the project followed by Piers Sadler talking specifically about the attention to detail required for passivhaus certification.
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Greenheart director Malcolm McMahon will then give an overview of the project, a tour around the house and site followed by a Q&A session.

Place are very limited so visit The Green Register website for more information and to book.

We have set to work on the refurbishment and extension of a tired 1950's two-storey house in Backwell, near Bristol, designed in collaboration with s2 design.

A large two-storey, open plan Timber frame extension will have lots of glass to the rear of the building to make the most of the views over the Severn estuary, with WARMCEL insulation and high spec triple glazed windows keeping it snug.

The existing house will be fully refurbished with new windows, improved levels of insulation and new interior layout.