Woodvale – the environmental benefits of our modern methods of construction

21 October 2021

Enevate have recently finished an air space project comprising of 3 high spec flats in London. The complicated project was designed and built by Enevate Home. The development also included the upgrading of the 1960’s block of flats. With residents already in the block it was essential that disruption and time on site was minimised as much as possible which would make it impossible for traditional construction methods, using off-site technology not only have environmental benefits but also meant there was much less disruption for the residents and the local area.

The units were landed in one day to minimise disruption. Offsite construction also ensured that there were less construction vehicles in and around the site as the build meant that the work was carried out in our Scotland factory with just a small team on site to finish and make good the units before these were handed over to the residents.

The existing property at Wood Vale, London (SE22) comprised a three-storey block of ten two-bedroom apartments. The building had a flat roof and balconies dominating the eastern (front) elevation. An undercroft driveway passes under the building at ground floor level, leading to off street parking and a block of ten garages, located at the rear of the site and of concrete construction.

Enevate Homes have undertaken a roof top extension, creating a penthouse floor with two two-bedroom/two-bathroom apartments. The improvements to the existing building as part of the development will include:

Balconies upgraded and extended.
Cladding with new rendering.
Communal parts all refurbished.
New TV aerials and satellite dish.
New electric gates
Driveway widened and resurfaced.
Landscaping, low wall, planters and trees.

The newly refurbished development at Woodvale, London

At Enevate Homes we under that our sector does have a big impact on the environment and part of our passion for offsite construction is the reduction on environmental impacts that this method of building provides. The construction sector’s impact on the environment is being increasingly scrutinised. Many traditional building methods are unsustainable and damaging to both their local environment and on a larger scale. With focus on the construction industry due to the housing crisis and the sustainability of houses under scrutiny we are proud that our construction processes reduce the impact on the environment and that our buildings are sustainable.

70% less energy used in manufacturing *
85% more thermally efficient *
40% lower heating costs than required by building regulations
90% greater building lifetime energy savings *
70% fewer CO2 emissions *
70% reduction in site traffic *
100% of the steel we use is recyclable (A+)
no toxic fumes released during construction
99% of production materials are used or recycled
60% of factory waste is recycled
no Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP) in our insulation materials
100% reusable builds – easily relocated and reconfigured

* when compared to traditional building methods.

Onsite construction would have been extremely disruptive to neighbours in this instance so it was beneficial to all parties to complete the work offsite. This was a challenging roof top extension and refurbishment, creating three high specification apartments that have excellent levels of thermal insulation, air tightness and acoustic performance, whilst providing a cost-effective solution to the client. The pods will be constructed at Enevate Homes’ factory in Scotland before being transported to London and lifted into place by a crane.
Our volumetric technology affords us the opportunity to manage the build precisely, supplying and installing the new floor in individual, self-contained units. This technique cannot be replicated by traditional methods of construction.
Paul McIntyre Architect