Northfields
Northfields, Colchester, is a stunning sustainable neighbourhood designed by Terence O’Rourke to provide new homes, an attractive open park and school with useful transport links for the local community.
Originally the build method was timber frame, however Linden Homes saw a potential cost saving of up to 10% by switching to the H+H MMC Rå Build method of thin joint aircrete construction. Terence O’Rourke recognised an aircrete solid wall construction method meant for a more robust build that would support
the varied external cladding types used on the project.
Linden Homes built a housing development within this 6.9 hectare site to construct 367 dwellings aimed at first time buyers.The 266 houses in the second phase were constructed using the Rå Build method of aircrete construction with H+H blockwork and Celfix thin joint mortar.
This is the 2000th MMC development where H+H have supplied the aircrete. The sustainable homes are privately owned, some sold under the Government’s Help to Buy scheme, with an additional allocation for social housing.
The development has rainwater harvesting (water butts), passive solar, photovoltaics, cycle storage and waste recycling.