Kingerlee Homes and NBT

NBT's (Natural Building Technologies) ThermoPlan thin bed solid wall building system has been used to construct Lincoln Grove, an exclusive residential development in Oxfordshire by housebuilder, Kingerlee Homes, which has been designed and constructed to achieve Ecohomes Excellent.

Bordering the grounds of Blenheim Palace, the Lincoln Grove development consists of nine, two and three bedroom, high performance properties constructed in two rows of terraces. Every element of each home has been designed to the very highest environmental standards, from the materials used in their construction, to the renewable and sustainable technologies incorporated into their design to reduce water consumption, energy use and CO2 emissions.

NBT's ThermoPlan thin bed solid wall building system was used for the project as it provided the buildability, thermal performance and sustainability credentials the project called for. Commenting on the specification of the system, Tony Woodward, joint managing director of Kingerlee Homes, said: The environmental performance of the homes on the Lincoln Grove development was paramount from the outset of this project.

We used NBT ThermoPlan system because it is sustainable, robust, highly durable and extremely thermally efficient, so much so that we did not need to use additional insulation on the walls of the homes. It is also completely airtight, yet breathable, which ensures water vapour does not get trapped in the building's structure, eliminating the risk of internal or interstitial condensation, which can lead to sick building syndrome.

In terms of its sustainability credentials, ThermoPlan is manufactured using a clay-based material, so it has a very low embodied energy and environmental impact compared to conventional masonry building methods, performance that is verified by its A rating in the BRE's Green Guide to Housing Specification.

Because the ThermoPlan system is a thin bed construction solution, it only requires 1mm bed joints, which significantly reduces drying out time and helps speed up on-site construction. As there is no risk of shrinkage, there was no limit on how much of the Lincoln Grove properties could be constructed in one day.

Once constructed, the homes were finished externally with a lime based render on the rear of the properties and natural limestone facings on the front. Internally, the walls were plastered with a vapour permeable plaster and decorated with ecologically sound paint.

The Lincoln Grove development was a joint venture between Kingerlee homes and Lifehaus, an ethical investment fund that specialises in sustainable development. The project has been constructed by the Kingerlee Group's contracting arm, Kingerlee Limited.

NBT is the UK's leading supplier of ecological building systems. The company provides high performance building solutions for the private housebuilding and commercial sectors, as well as the public sector. NBT's product range includes environmentally sound structural building systems for walls, roofs and floors, as well as ranges of ecological paints, mineral plasters and renders, and natural fibre insulation.