Press Release
Nottingham company puts eco-homes on a firm footing
December 11th, 2007
Environmentally friendly homes of the future are here to stay thanks to pioneering new construction methods from leading engineering consultancy, Joynes Pike and Associates.
The company, which has offices in Nottingham is celebrating its role in creating environmentally efficient homes at Oxley Woods in Milton Keynes.
Oxley Woods is attracting international attention as one of the first Government-backed environmental housing developments in Britain and at the base of it all is Joynes Pike, who quite literally designed the foundations for the 145-home development.
Designed overall by housebuilder George Wimpey and architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, the homes now under construction at Oxley Woods were a winner in the Government’s ‘Design for Manufacture’ competition, with a strict £60,000 construction cost limit and a minimising environmental impact target.
By returning to the founding principles of building, Joynes Pike developed construction methods which are helping the developer to meet those targets.
Douglas Croft, Technical Director for Structural Engineering at Joynes Pike, explains: “We were told about the non-standard housing George Wimpey wished to develop and asked if we could design and build cost-effective foundations to suit their lightweight, timber frame homes.
“In doing this we carefully balanced the need to use minimal materials, since concrete uses a lot of energy to produce, but enough materials to ensure the homes are still standing firm in over a hundred years’ time. There was also the cost criteria to consider.
“One of the fundamental differences was that without brickwork, the homes are a lot lighter than a normal build. The biggest saving therefore, was in the quantity of materials for the foundations, and we’ve estimated that we’ve reduced the amount of concrete used by 40%.
“Because of this we’ve had to dig out and remove 40% less soil, generated 40% less concrete delivery wagon movements, and reduced the amount of heavy machinery used on site.”
Joynes Pike’s construction methods are among a wide range of environmentally friendly initiatives at Oxley Woods, including high levels of insulation for each house and an innovative EcoHat which filters and reuses air to optimise energy consumption.
The company now hope their pioneering methods will be adopted across the industry as more housebuilders turn to environmentally efficient construction techniques.
“We have proved we are at the leading edge of the sustainable revolution in the UK, and this is where we plan to stay,” adds Mr Croft.
“Any project which challenges us to move away from our normal working methods is a welcome challenge. It is only in this way that our industry will develop.”
Joynes Pike has also been involved with other sustainable developments such as the prestigious Flatpack Homes in Gateshead which were granted planning permission earlier this year.
Ends.
For further information, please contact:
Bev Chiang
Marketing & Business Development Manager
Joynes Pike & Associates Ltd
Tel: 07786 650 009
Fax: 0121 788 0757
Email: bchiang@joynespike.co.uk
Note to the Editor
Joynes Pike & Associates has over 28 years experience providing innovative engineering solutions to the construction industry. Since its formation, the company has expanded to become one of the UK’s top 60 engineering consultancy firms within the Civil & Structural Engineering sector. In the Geotechnical and Environmental Engineering sector, the company is ranked within the UK’s top 20 firms. The company employs over 170 staff across the seven offices throughout the United Kingdom.
Joynes Pike & Associates has the background, experience, resources and financial stability to offer innovative engineering solutions to Clients in all sectors across the construction industry in both Public and Private sectors. The company is a multi-disciplinary consultancy offering the following services:
- + Traffic & Transportation
- + Land & Engineering Surveying
- + Geotechnical Engineering
- + Environmental Engineering
- + Civil Engineering
- + Structural Engineering
The Company Head Office is situated in Nottingham. There are six regional offices strategically located in the North West, North East, West Midlands and the South East of England.