Oak Meadow

Since its completion in 2004 Oak Meadow has been used as a benchmark for sustainable design at a national and international level. A development of 35 affordable, low environmental impact dwellings in the rural setting of South Molton, Devon, Oak Meadow was constructed to high environmental, health and design standards

The development has received numerous national and local awards both for its environmental credentials and its creation of uplifting places for people to live. The development is featured in the RIBA book – ‘Sustainable Architecture’

Considerable tenacity was required to ensure that the sustainable ethos was maintained with extensive tenant consultation, presentations and visits made throughout the project. The result has been a scheme that is regarded as delightful to live in by the tenants who have comfortable, healthy homes and very low fuel bills

Site layout

Dwellings are oriented towards the south and southwest maximising passive solar gains for both buildings and gardens and are arranged in terraces to reduce surface heat loss

Construction

A Timber ‘Twin Frame’® System was used, developed by Gale & Snowden to enable super-insulated air-tight walls and roof panels to eliminate thermal bridging and use readily available local materials with low embodied energy. Thermal mass was introduced internally to stabilise internal temperature fluctuations and help reduce summertime overheating

Low-energy design including:

• Highly efficient insulation – U-values of construction: floor 0.14W/m²K (200mm EPS insulation), walls 0.13W/m²K (300mm cellulose insulation), roof 0.13W/m²K (350mm cellulose insulation), windows and doors 1.00W/m²K (triple glazed, double low-e, argon filled and insulated glazing spacer bars)
• Air tightness – fan pressurisation test to 3 air changes at 50Pa
• Natural daylight design for all habitable rooms
• Natural ventilation with pre-heating from solar spaces
• Inclusion of thermal mass to provide stable internal temperature fluctuations and help to reduce summertime overheating
• Cool larders to reduce fridge use
• Low energy lighting throughout

These energy efficiency measures have resulted in the homes being very comfortable to live in with little variation in internal temperature and very low fuel bills ensuring that all tenants achieve affordable warmth

Low environmental impact, natural materials were used throughout with the avoidance of PVC

Healthy building design

Use of non-VOC materials, avoidance of dust mite habitats, radial wiring to avoid low-level EMFs in bedrooms, thermal comfort and daylight design

Water efficiency

Low water use appliances, pressure reduction gauges, rainwater collection system to WCs

External landscaping

Wildlife corridor and wind shelter belt designed into the site layout to reduce wind chill onto buildings and gardens

South-facing, productive (food) gardens with access direct from living rooms, minimisation of hard surfaces, SUDS design with attenuation meadow and porous surfaces, low maintenance design.

Accessibility for people with disabilities

The housing development includes accommodation for people with disabilities

What the residents have said:

“We have lived in Oak Meadow since December 04

The super insulation and triple glazing are very effective – During our first winter (Dec 04-Spring 05) we used the central heating for a total of 4 hours (total – not per day!)

The ventilation works well, the house is always well aired and fresh. We bought a condensing tumble dryer, as it was not possible (or sensible) to vent through the walls or windows. Using the dryer in the evenings during winter provided heat which stayed inside due to the insulation being so total, and the moisture was taken out by the condenser – an excellent result for us and the planet.

In winter, we are toasty warm even without the heating, and yet in summer opening the doors and windows in the correct way keeps the house so much cooler than outside

The floor downstairs is terra-cotta tiled throughout – it stays wonderfully cool in summer and retains heat in winter thanks to the underground insulation layer. We have not bothered with rugs, simply because its so practical for cleaning – we have kids and pets but no dust mite matrix to contend with

The Solar Collector on the roof means a big saving on gas – at worst it just preheats the tank a bit, but sometimes the tank is full of hot water from the Sun. We mostly only turn the boiler on ( manually – it has never been used on a timer ) as we use the bath or shower at night, to replenish the hot water used

Using harvested rainwater to flush the toilets has saved the cost of water we would have used ( silly using drinking water to flush down the drain ) and the cost of sewerage charges for the run off from the roof of the house 

All these factors contribute to the experience of living in the house, but the most significant thing for me is how it feels – not a scientific ( or ecological ) term, but it is the crowning glory of these houses. Living in a wooden house, well lit, warm and fresh with pleasing natural materials all around is something which if youve never done you must – now. The house actually feels right – as if it belongs in the landscape

Living here has naturally raised our awareness to all kind of ecological issues – we have become much more thorough in recycling and how we shop. I compost everything I can – its become almost an obsession! I collect rainwater in buckets to use in the garden and am working on ideas to increase the amount I collect and store for the dry spells

Before we moved here, we spent on average 25 month on logs, and 80 month on electricity, a total fuel bill of 105 per month (1260pa) – Now we pay 55 per month for combined Gas & Electricity – a saving of 50 per month(600pa). This is even more remarkable when you note that our previous house was a 2 bedroom mid terrace cottage and this house is a 3 bedroom end terrace!”