| project name | gold standard housing |
|---|---|
| Project lead | Aberdeen City Council |
| Main contractor | Ogilvie construction |
| Project type | New low carbon council homes |
| Location | Auchmill and Cloverhill |
| Project timescale | 2019 - 2022 |
Background
The New Build Council Housing programme is underway to address a long-term shortage of affordable social rented housing in the city.
Our vision is to create sustainable integrated communities and places by delivering affordable homes designed for life which meet residents’ current and changing needs.
Housing is being provided for single people, flats for families, and wheelchair-friendly properties, including housing for various needs, dementia friendly, low carbon, low maintenance and to meet the gold standard.
The gold standard requires energy efficient technologies, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by at least 27% achieved partially through using renewable energy to provide 50% of the hot water demand. Gold standard also incorporates more effective insulation, air circulation techniques, and increased natural light, all of which aim to make homes greener and cheaper to run, helping to tackle fuel poverty.
Outcomes
All of new build council gold standard homes are connected to district heating, which uses a central plant to heat a number of homes. The central generator and/or boilers produce hot water which is circulated through pipes to the buildings. The hot water passes through the radiators in the buildings.
Maintenance costs are lower with a district heating system than for conventional heating systems. This is because there is only the centralised plant to maintain, rather than a large number of boilers situated in many properties.
The scheme generates power close to where it is needed, and uses heat produced in the process for heating and hot water rather than letting it go to waste.
In October 2022, the Auchmill site, near Bucksburn, welcomed residents to 92 homes including a mixture of two to eight people flats and wheelchair-designed flats, designed to a gold standard level of energy efficiency throughout and low maintenance external amenity spaces as well as creation of a new ramp to the A96 which will provide safer access and support more walking, cycling, and wheeling through active travel.
Next Steps
Work is ongoing to hand over 449 homes in 2024 and over a further 300 by 2026, all to ‘gold standard, with other low/zero carbon renewable technologies being installed such as air and ground source heat pumps.