TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose The purpose of this paper is to outline an early adopter “low energy” domestic dwelling, one of the social houses built by a collaboration between a university, the local council. The origins of this project are from the early days of interest in sustainable housing, the 1970s. The dwellings were innovative and built to what became known as “the Salford design” which performed to unusual specifications, using approximately 75 per cent less energy than the UK average for space heating and over 40 per cent less than for houses built to what were then the standard building regulations.Design/methodology/approach A qualitative and interpretative stance was deemed to be the most appropriate. Within that lens, interviews were chosen as the primary research instrument.Findings A marked feature of the results is the variation in energy consumption by different households. A Salford-designed house could be habitable throughout the year without any space heating at all, comfortable at 10 per cent and very comfortable at 25 per cent of normal consumption.Originality/value As there continues to be interest and commitment to reducing energy – not just from the United Kingdom but also on a worldwide scale – the United Nations Conference of the Parties known as COP 22 (2016) met in Morocco to take forward many of the initiatives outlined in the Paris Agreement 2015. It is of interest, then, that the latest set of interviews showed that the houses built to the innovative and original 1970s’ Salford design principles, protected by highly insulated well-sealed envelopes, are even presently functioning at a relatively low energy threshold.
VL  - 17
IS  - 3
SN  - 1471-4175
DO  - 10.1108/CI-01-2017-0001
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/CI-01-2017-0001
AU  - Burke Maria
PY  - 2017
Y1  - 2017/01/01
TI  - The design and value of “early adopter” low-energy houses
T2  - Construction Innovation
PB  - Emerald Publishing Limited
SP  - 262
EP  - 272
Y2  - 2024/04/26
ER  -