We are partnering with Hockerton Housing Project to develop new innovative ideas for bringing architectural design and modelling together with sustainability. Our holistic approach and in-house expertise has brought together the principles of architecture, engineering, and sustainability into a single model, allowing us to use energy simulation and modelling as well as to create a prototype for future developments.

The sustainable eco-housing and living development at Hockerton, Nottinghamshire, was established and built in the 1990s. The concept aimed and achieved autonomous living by minimising demand and generating its own energy, as well as growing produce, harvesting rainwater and treating wastewater in an on-site reed bed.

The existing scheme layout follows a minimal energy approach, maximising winter solar gain via a south facing glazed façade, while also minimising summertime overheating using effective stack ventilation, solar blinds and thermal mass which acts as a heat battery. As such, the homes – each with a private garden – have negligible heating demand which will continue to fall as the electric grid decarbonises. The remaining energy demand is met by a 50kWp solar PV array and two on-site wind turbines, resulting in an overall carbon positive development.

Rainwater harvesting and water filtration and treatment techniques allow water to be re-used for everything from drinking and bathing to toilet flushing and plant irrigation.

Our ongoing work with the Hockerton Housing Project includes the rollout of the fully coordinated Architectural & Engineering models and sustainability design principles to a 20-unit housing scheme in Portsmouth, a single unit scheme in Laneham and a local Community Centre.

Through this venture we are also partnering with Nottingham Trent University, which is using our 3D BIM model to explore building simulation modelling techniques for the assessment of energy, carbon and operational cost savings associated with the co-generation of solar PV with batteries, optimised for time-of-use tariffs.