HOUSING minister Margaret Burgess was ‘shovel ready’ when she dug in to mark the start of construction on a house that could set the standard for the future.
She was at the ‘resource efficient house’ plot on the BRE Innovation Park at Ravenscraig in North Lanarkshire to begin work on the ground-breaking project. The project, by Zero Waste Scotland and developer Tigh Grian Ltd, is designed to produce a sustainable and affordable housing model for families.
The construction technique considers resource efficiency not just in the design and build process but throughout the life cycle all the way to eventual ‘deconstruction’ of the property.
The design was recently finalised and the house will be built to meet, and possibly exceed, the top performance requirements of the 2016 Scottish Building Standards.
Off-site modular construction allows greater control over cost, waste and supply chain accreditation. On completion, the house will remain at the BRE park for at least two years.
Allan Sandilands, key account manager for construction at Zero Waste Scotland, said: “The project takes into account the full life-cycle of the construction process from cradle to grave and is an example of circular economy thinking in practice. The use of materials, water and energy has been considered at all stages, meaning that resource efficiency underpins every element, including the design, construction, lifestyle options and eventual deconstruction of the house.”
Colin Machin, director of Tigh Grian, added: “In addition to meeting exacting performance standards, we have used a range of sustainably sourced materials to demonstrate how different external finishings can be applied to this repeatable building model to satisfy a wide range of consumer tastes and demand.”
Image – A BIT OF DIG: The minister signals the start of construction at the BRE site.
