All Aboard… Next Stop: Sustainable Construction

Not every project starts on site. Some start in a factory.

On Wednesday 24 June, Project Manager Michael Pointing, Contracts Manager Simon Court and Senior Quantity Surveyor Bradley Bateup travelled by train from London to Cumbria to visit Eden Insulation, who are manufacturing the timber frame structures for one of our latest Passivhaus project in Hertfordshire. After arriving at the picturesque station in Appleby-in-Westmorland, it was a short journey to the factory, where our project is already taking shape.

Eden Insulation gave the team a tour of its factory and the opportunity to see our project taking shape long before it reaches site. These five buildings are being manufactured as timber wall panels, floor cassettes and roof cassettes before making the journey south to Hertfordshire.

By the time we visited, two of the five buildings had already been manufactured. It was a great opportunity to see the manufacturing process first-hand and discuss how the buildings will be delivered and assembled on site.

One of the most interesting parts of the visit was seeing how the panels are assembled. Each timber frame panel is manufactured in the factory with the structural frame, high-performance insulation, structural sheathing and airtightness layers already in place before being transported to site. Producing the panels in this controlled environment allows every component to be built to exacting tolerances and thoroughly checked before it leaves the factory.

For a Passivhaus project, that level of precision is essential. Every panel, joint and connection plays a part in achieving the demanding standards for airtightness, thermal performance and energy efficiency. Seeing the manufacturing process first-hand gave the team a real appreciation of how Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), high-quality insulation and factory-built timber frames work together to create buildings that are comfortable, durable and use significantly less energy throughout their lifetime.

Factory-built construction is becoming an increasingly important part of the construction industry. Manufacturing in a controlled factory environment helps reduce waste, shorten programmes, improve health and safety, and reduce disruption on site. Using sustainably sourced timber also helps lower embodied carbon, supporting the industry's move towards more sustainable construction.

Visits like this are about more than seeing a product being made. They strengthen relationships with our supply chain partners, give project teams a better understanding of the manufacturing process and help ensure projects get off to the best possible start.

A huge thank you to everyone at Eden Insulation for making us so welcome, showing us around the factory and taking the time to talk through the project. We are looking forward to working together as installation begins later this year.