Project Description
Client: Linden Homes
Project: Greyfriars Quarter
Location: Gloucester
Units: 246
Type: Mixed
Project Summary
The Greyfriars Quarter is a mixed-use site in the heart of Gloucester and includes the Gloscat Campus and Media Site. The aim of the development was to create an attractive city centre residential neighbourhood providing 246 new homes and apartments in a mix of styles alongside commercial shops and community services.
The Challenge
On this development, the requirement was to adhere to the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3 and BREEAM Excellent as well as achieving an overall 10% reduction in carbon emissions across the entire site. Combining the standards of the Code for Sustainable Homes and BREEAM added a challenge as commercial standards are not normally applied to residential and vice-versa.
The challenge was to meet the conditions using light weight steel frame (Metsec) and traditional masonry around a part steel frame with concrete plank floors, and electric heating. By liaising closely with everyone in the design team, we were able to produce a value engineered solution that focused on improving the fabric efficiency of the steel frame through good linear thermal bridging details. The solution reduced the amount of PV required to achieve the site-wide target, while also maximising the credits available for the Code for Sustainable Homes and BREEAM assessments.