daab design x Enactus Warwick Consulting.
daab design has teamed up with Warwick University’s Enactus Consulting program to publish a series of research pieces into the cost analysis of sustainable, low carbon, craft materials and techniques for our heritage residential projects.
We’ve created this work to assist our clients on critical choices on retrofit measures to improve a building’s thermal performance and the potential impact on the project budget.
In terms of LETI, the Low Energy Transformation Initiative, heritage buildings are defined as “constrained retrofits”. In the UK, we have 7.1 million such buildings, virtually all need thermal performance improvements to maintain their relevance in their uses. At the same time standard retrofit measures for buildings built after 1950 are often at odds with the preservation and maintenance of these buildings if done in a piecemeal manner.
Our approach generally begins with a “whole house plan” and will identify measures that could be done individually. From our experience with clients who are looking to improve thermal performance of their homes this guidance is essential in understanding performance and cost implications.
Historic buildings generally are constructed in a way that reflects its region, local traditions, and crafts. They have in common the built-in breathability of their building fabric, and the use of non-industrial materials.
Too often early aspirations of thermal enhancement through craft-based techniques are discarded once the tender is returned and the price is digested. We feel it is important to Inform the client at early stage of their benefits, longevity, and price to help them stay committed to these choices.
Please feel free to reach out to us for your copy of our research which offer a true comparison between a typical insulation measure and these sustainable, low carbon and historic building appropriate measures taken not in isolation but in the context of the buildup used.
Limecrete ground floor slab
Woodfibre floor insulation board
Clay/ lime render wall insulation
Cork board insulation
Woodfibre board insulation
Woodfibre roof insulation board