Constructing Excellence in Wales is seeking sites from across Wales to be part of the Zero Carbon Hub’s project – Ventilation strategies for future homes. Whether you’re an architect, building services engineer or developer, if you’re currently on-site or have recently completed a housing project that fits our description below then we want to hear from you. Does your site:

• Comply with building regulations 2010
• Include a variety of house types (we’re keen to provide examples of apartments, small and large dwellings, sheltered accommodation and more)
• Make use of: an innovative passive design strategy, mechanical ventilation or mechanical ventilation heat recovery

Through March – May 2015, the project team will be carrying out site visits across England and Wales where homes are nearing completion on site or occupied. We are looking to hear your experiences of what has gone well and what you’ve learnt through the process, key decisions in the type of system or your choice of installer for example across the ventilation strategies listed above. The project hopes to visit around 15 sites in total and review two – three unit types at each site.

The Zero Carbon Hub project team will be publishing a summary report providing an overview of the project’s findings. Recommendations will be made to industry and government to help ensure that ventilation systems deliver the designed performance. We anticipate that:

• for industry, these recommendations will focus on process and areas of further research;
• for government, recommendations will address any amendments that may be needed to guidance or regulation – including Part F, Part L, the Domestic Ventilation Compliance Guide and rules around competent person schemes.

Any delivery-related issues identified need to be tackled through industry collaboration, with the full support of government and the regulatory framework. Welsh Government, DCLG and DECC have committed to give serious consideration to our findings and will work closely with us from the start of the project. This project will build on the findings of the Hub’s recent Performance Gap work which looked into the gap between the design and as-built energy performance of new homes.

Should you have any questions regarding the ventilation strategies for future homes project or wish to nominate a site in Wales, please contact Anne Sharp for more details by email or tel: 02920 49 33 22.