LONDON COUNCIL
CHOOSES WARMSHELL
AND PH15 ENERGY-
EFFICIENT TIMBER
FRAME SYSTEM FOR
SOCIAL HOUSING
The recently completed social housing project at Akerman Road
for Lambeth Council, includes three new-build Passivhaus certified
terrace houses, and six highly energy efficient retrofit flats within a
locally listed building. The construction solutions and details were
carried out by the 15-40 Architectural Collective.
Ensuring vapour open construction was a priority. Highly insulated
houses must consider moisture management, moisture damage
being the greatest risk factor to the building fabric. The new-build
terraces were constructed using the PH15 Timber Frame System
which uniquely offers a natural insulations solution to Passivhaus
projects, ensuring the building can ‘breathe’ and that moisture can
escape externally through the structure.
With the PH15 Timber Frame System, products are used that are
known to enable water vapour to escape externally – this includes
Lime Green’s Warmshell render system applied directly to external
wood fibre insulating boards. Lime Green renders are highly
breathable and elastic, with low water absorption, which means
they will provide a very durable finish and importantly have far less
embodied energy than other render systems.