ECO-HOUSING INITIATIVE IN THE MIDLANDS
LOCATION
Eco Drive,
Handsworth, Birmingham
SECTOR
Residential Housing
CLIENT
Midland Heart
Housing Association
PRODUCTS USED
Star Performer ®
multi-purpose concrete block
THE BRIEF
Project 80 is a research and development programme led by Midland Heart, a housing association in Birmingham. It began in 2021 and set out to develop and monitor 80 homes to meet the then assumed targets of the Future Homes Standard (FHS).
Eco Drive in Handsworth formed the first stage of the programme with 12 houses built. The second development at Elvetham Road in Edgbaston comprised another 12 homes.
Incorporating low and zero carbon technologies, these were the first developments in the country designed to the proposed FHS. This meant there needed to be an 80% CO2 emission reduction in the construction of these houses compared to contemporaneous building standards. Besblock, now part of Holcim UK, was brought on board to consult on the building blocks for this ambitious development.
Data gathered from occupied homes is now being used to inform a government-led technical consultation on the FHS and shared with the wider housing sector.
What we achieved in numbers
Up to 80% CO2 Reduction
The overall carbon savings estimated across Type 2 Houses using Star Performer
24% less aggregate
Up to 85% CO2 Reduction
The overall carbon savings estimated across Type 1 Houses using Star Performer
24% less water
Up to 90% CO2 Reduction
The overall carbon savings estimated across Type 3 Houses using Star Performer
24% less water
Solution
To meet design targets and cut emissions by 80%, Project 80 required building materials and specialist solutions to minimise thermal bridging.
Besblock consulted on the building blocks for the external walls on the project’s ‘Type 3’ three-bed houses. It supplied Star Performer, a versatile, all-in-one cellular concrete block tailored for domestic house building and ideal for Project 80.
Owing to its cellular structure, roughly a quarter (24%) of the block is made up of voids. This helps deliver exceptional thermal and acoustic performance, while being lighter to transport and handle.
“The houses look like traditional brick
construction, however, the methods
of construction and the materials
used have been innovatively
developed and applied to improve
the thermal efficiency of the
properties. We’re impressed with the
results and are proud to deliver lower
carbon homes that are more
comfortable to live in.”
Tony Hopkin, Technical Lead
Midland Heart
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