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Paragraph 55 – Exceptional Home With High Environmental Standards

This beautiful house in the Somerset countryside was given planning permission under the stringent Paragraph 55 clause.

Paragraph 55 sets exceptionally strict planning restrictions for new builds in the English countryside, allowing only truly outstanding or innovative architecture of the very highest quality and standard. Burcott Manor was conceived as an exceptionally high standard sustainable building with a minimal environmental footprint both in construction and use.

The challenge of keeping within the remit of the Paragraph 55 allowed the team at Greengauge to utilise their broad experience of producing high-performance buildings to exceptionally high environmental standards.

By using a Fabric-first approach, the energy demand was kept to the required 15kwh/m2.  Natural building materials, including timber were used in combination with a radiant heating system and a mechanical ventilation system to produce an energy efficient, airtight building.

We worked closely with the design team and client to agree an energy source. Our evaluation of the options (including specialist energy simulations) enabled the client to make an informed choice and a bio-mass boiler was selected.

In order to overcome the challenge of over-heating, hot water is delivered using a radiant heating system, and we designed a natural ventilation strategy to minimise overheating risk due to solar gains in summer.

Greengauge will provide on-going energy monitoring to Mendip Council, who require proof that the building’s performance is under the stipulated 15kwh/m2.

Greengauge gave Energy Strategy advice, including Thermal Performance advice, Psi value calculation, full M&E design, Mechanical 3d models.

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