To celebrate 25 years of The Green Register, we’re showcasing case studies by some of our members. Earthwise is a sustainable building company based in Bristol, with over 18 years of green building experience. Earthwise offer comprehensive eco-design & build services, and specialise in Passivhaus timber frame new builds and whole house retrofits. To see more case studies from Earthwise and other Green Register members, visit our new exhibition at the Create Centre, Bristol.
Somewhere Housing Co-operative is the oldest established housing co-op in Bristol, and provides affordable community led housing to its members across 14 properties in South Bristol. This includes 3 low energy new build flats in Bedminster, constructed in 2019 by Earthwise Construction and designed by TL architecture.
The 3 flats were designed around a common entrance with shared facilities, a shared garden and bike store, and a bookable spare room for guests of co-op members.
Sustainability features
- Built to Passive House standards (although un-certified)
- Prefabricated timber frame panels
- Wood fibre insulation externally
- High levels of airtightness and triple glazed windows
- Clad in locally sourced scorched larch cladding and lime render and feature an intensive brown roof on the north to improve local biodiversity
- Large 10KW Solar Photovoltaic array integrated into the south roof, providing all the power needs of the home. The remotely monitored PV array uses micro inverters to connect to the grid – importing and exporting electricity as required – resulting in homes that are very near net zero carbon in operation – as shown by the monitoring graphs.
- Solar Assisted Heat Pump (SAHP) provides hot water
- Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) ventilation system
To learn more, visit the Earthwise website or Taus Larsen website.