Terrapin meets the Band 'A' building challenge

Offsite construction pioneer, Terrapin, has developed a Band ‘A’ solution based on its recently introduced Hybred® modular building solution. Providing a highly adaptable building envelope for factory–built multi–storey structures, Hybred offers the potential to achieve ‘A’ rated energy performance through the efficient use of innovative cladding solutions to optimise insulation levels and reduce heat loads, and by incorporating energy saving elements such as green roof techniques, low–emissivity glazing and renewable energy technologies.

With the Code for Sustainable Homes setting a target for zero carbon by 2016, and a similar target likely for non–domestic buildings by 2019, ‘A’ rated energy performance is an increasingly important target for all types of buildings, from housing and care homes to schools and healthcare facilities. In the commercial sector many companies are seeking Band ‘A’ ahead of time, both for sustainable benefits, and for the CSR and PR benefits of such a ‘statement’ building.

In developing Hybred, Terrapin has combined best practice in offsite construction with the design flexibility of a robust structural frame that can be ‘clothed’ to meet a huge variety of functional, aesthetic, and performance criteria, including low carbon or ‘A’ rated zero carbon building. Hybred can be specified with elements such as ground source heat pumps and rainwater harvesting (integrated into the foundations), solar PV panels (integrated into the roof), and effective heat–recovery ventilation. In addition, the building’s lifetime carbon emissions can be reduced by specifying low embedded carbon building products containing a high percentage of recycled materials, for example, or which are manufactured with low carbon or carbon–offset energy.

In addition to meeting exceptional energy performance standards, Hybred also brings greater flexibility to offsite building design, with the facility to incorporate modules that are non–rectangular in plan, and to introduce corner–to–corner glazed walls, using the system’s Corner Loaded Module.

Terrapin Director, says Hybred reflects the company’s commitment to pushing the performance boundaries of offsite produced building solutions to meet increasingly challenging environmental regulations. He comments: “We believe traditional building methods will struggle to match Hybred’s Band ‘A’ performance potential without excessive construction thickness and impossibly stringent quality assurance measures, which are much more difficult to achieve on site. Also, the flexibility of our Hybred modular building system means it can be adapted to emerging envelope technologies, so keeping Terrapin – and our clients – ahead of regulatory targets.”