Zed House At The University Of Salford - Barratt Developments

Project Details

Project - Barratt Development's Zed House At The University Of Salford

Sector - Residential

Technology - Components

Company - Barratt Developments

Project Overview:

As the leading national sustainable housebuilder, Barratt is driven by an ambition to create positive environmental, social and economic legacies for future generations. Our best-in-class partnerships across sustainability, technology and construction empower us to create homes that are kinder to the planet. The off-site build, Zed House,  pushes the boundaries of technical innovation and efficiency to create sustainable homes at scale. We are working with councils to deliver sustainable homes.

Barratt Builds the Carbon Zero Home of the Future Climate change is the greatest challenge facing society. It will affect how we live and work and will fundamentally change the places that we call home. Housebuilders have a critical role to play as we adapt to a changing climate. Barratt created the first home built by a mainstream housebuilder that goes significantly beyond the Government’s Future Homes Standard, delivering a 125% reduction in carbon emissions.

Working with the University of Salford and 40 innovative organisations, Barratt assembled a team to create a blueprint for the housebuilding industry. The prototype Zed House pushed the boundaries of technical innovation and efficiency within the home, informing the sector how to build the highquality, zero carbon and nature-friendly homes that the country needs, at the scale required.

The design and build The Zed House team began in early 2021, using our standard Alderney house-type. The footprint and internal layouts were adapted to incorporate the Nationally Described Space Standards and accessibility standards. Advanced Modern Methods of Construction were integrated into the design, so the process ensured the off-site manufacture and site assembly were seamless.

Sustainable materials The Zed House combines the latest off-site construction methods with carefully selected and sustainable materials used in the build, whilst keeping waste to a minimum, including a recycled kitchen. RSPB garden We created an RSPB Gold Standard garden to maximise the potential of the garden with features that attract and support wildlife. Zed House has native species to maximise diversity and nature, including hedgehog homes and highways, swift bricks, bat and bee boxes provide homes for nature. We also extended the environment upwards through living green walls.

Power of technology The energy crisis is not only affecting home energy bills, but is threatening the future sustainability of the planet. Recognising this challenge, the  Barratt Technical and Innovation team engaged with partners, such as Mitsubishi, Eco2Solar, Polypipe and Octopus Energy to form a smart system that uses the latest renewable and sustainable technologies.

Impact of Zed House “Our Energy House Laboratories are in close proximity to the Zed House and will play a pivotal role in exploring the energy performance of this  industry-first home making a vital contribution to the future of housebuilding in the UK,” said Professor William Swan, Director of Energy House Laboratories.