New Homes Gain "Excellent" Rating

 

A development of 32 homes at Fairways in Inverness has achieved a prestigious "Excellent" rating for sustainability, making it arguably the most sustainable housing in Scotland. 

The Servite Housing Association development, financed by the Scottish Government, has achieved the highest score in Scotland against the current version of the EcoHomes rating system. The rating system considers all areas of sustainability including energy, CO2 performance, land-use, ecology and biodiversity, materials use, health and wellbeing, management, transport, pollution and water use.

Accepting the accreditation Certificate on behalf of Servite, Margaret Davidson, Chair of Housing and Social Work Committee for Highland Council, commented:  "Servite are dong really well. We are fortunate to have such an excellent partner to work with.  These houses will be warm, attractive and economical to run, an example of what we all need as we get older."

Part of a healthcare village development, the Servite homes will provide 28 flats and 4 cottages with a particularly high building standard and high energy performance.  A £60,000 grant from Community Energy Scotland went towards the biomass pellet-fuelled heating system, which provides communal heating and hot water. Megan Palmer-Abbs of EBBA Consultants, the sustainability consultants and assessors for the project, stated: "The 'Excellent' score was achieved due to the determination of Servite to deliver a high standard of building, allied with the dedication and cooperation of the whole design and construction team." 

Architects Kenny Cameron and Rory Bryden and surveyor Bill Hamilton of KLM Partnership helped gain the EcoHomes assessment along with UBC Group Ltd, who scored full marks for Construction Management and their management of site waste.  Equally admirably, the project was delivered under-budget and on time.

Julie Cosgrove, Servite Chief Executive, said that Servite was delighted to achieve the prestigious rating, adding: "Reaching this new level is a tremendous milestone and we aim to continually improve living conditions and increase environmental and building sustainability while providing affordable housing."

The EcoHomes system is part of BREEAM, (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology), the UK national construction industry benchmark for sustainable buildings.  It is now applied to most UK public projects, including major Scottish Government projects, and is used increasingly by other Scottish public agencies.

www.servite.co.uk