Case Study Orwell Housing Association
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Case Study Orwell Housing Association Clay Fields – 26 low cost, high quality eco-houses Architect: Riches Hawley Mikhail Seaman and Son Ltd Tradical® Hemcrete®, and Limetec® hydraulic lime mortar and render Completion date: For the construction of Clay Fields’ 26 new affordable homes for Orwell Housing Association in Suffolk, architects Riches Hawley Mikhail Architects wanted to combine contemporary design and sustainable construction with low energy use and innovative local materials. Project: Product: Introduction Orwell Housing Association Main Contractor: Sustainable masonry sets green precedent for social housing Client: 2008 The brief from the client demanded eco-minimalism – high quality, low carbon homes without any highly visible environmental interventions. To help achieve this, Riches Hawley Mikhail used Tradical® Hemcrete® from Lime Technology. A thermal hemp-lime walling solution that comprises a blend of hemp shiv and a lime based binder, it provides conventional looking wall construction whilst locking up CO2 by capturing carbon from the atmosphere. Hemp, in common with all similar plants, captures CO2 and releases oxygen during its rapid growth. The immediate and positive effect of this process is the sequestration of the principal greenhouse gas. Furthermore, this captured carbon is then locked into the fabric of constructed buildings. Finally, when the air-lime based binder sets, even more carbon dioxide absorption occurs. In effect, the material becomes better than carbon neutral. One cubic metre of Tradical® Hemcrete® wall can lock up 108kg of CO2. At Clay Fields, it is anticipated the use of Tradical® Hemcrete® will enable the locking up of around 65 tonnes of carbon dioxide. “A commercially viable and cost-effective alternative to traditional masonry” Limetec® is a registered trademark of Lime Technology www.limetechnology.co.uk

“Healthy housing built with sustainable materials in a sustainable way” The Brief Riches Hawley Mikhail was commissioned in 2006, following a RIBA design competition led by Orwell Housing Association in partnership with Elmswell Parish Council, Mid Suffolk District Council and the Suffolk Preservation Society. The competition for 26 homes was a response to the lack of affordable housing for local people in a rapidly-growing commuter belt. The brief demanded high quality, low carbon homes without any ‘greenwash’ or highly visible environmental interventions. There are no solar panels or wind...