Edward Woods Estate
Project Partners:
| Owner | Hammersmith and Fulham Homes |
| Architect | ECD Architects |
| Insulation | Rockwool Limited,Rockpanel, Rockfon |
| Main Contractors | The Breyer Group |
A comprehensive low carbon refurbishment of a 1960s residential development. The scheme involves the refurbishment of three 24 storey towers.
About the project:
The £12.2 million refurbishment of the Edward Woods Estate near Shepherds Bush is intended to extend the life of the towers through comprehensive repair works as well as undertaking a thorough thermal and visual upgrade. In addition, the scheme establishes a flagship for building-integrated renewable technologies within the Borough. The project will see all of the tower blocks given a combination of Rockwool Rockshield and Rockwool Rockpanel that will smarten up the estate and improve the buildings whilst lowering resident’s heating bills.
Residents have been involved in the scheme from the start, with representatives from each block working with the design consultants, using their local knowledge to help steer the proposals for the benefit of all who live there.
What will be done?
The existing facing bricks on the gable ends will be stripped away due to deterioration and replaced with a light weight steel frame filled with 100mm Flexi between studs and 50mm Flexi behind in the original cavity. A cement particle board will brace the frame to create an even substrate, on which a 90mm thick Rockshield insulation system will be externally applied to achieve a U-value of 0.18 W/m²K. This will be nine times better than the existing make-up.
The principle south-facing gable of each tower block will receive a 318-panel photovoltaic rainscreen system, spanning from the 4th to the 22nd floor providing around 82,000 kWh of solar generated electricity annually.
The east and west elevations, which include a 110 mm cavity in the window panels, will be blown with HP EnergySaver cavity wall insulation and then externally clad with Rockpanel Rockclad Xtreme board.
On top of the 24 storey blocks, new build penthouse flats will be constructed incorporating lightweight steel frames with 300mm Flexi insulation, faced with Rockpanel wood finish cladding to achieve a U-value of around 0.15 W/m²K. Rockwool flat roof insulation will be included in the roof of these penthouses providing a U-value of 0.15W/(m²K). This will also improve the acoustic performance of the building, reducing noise proliferation by 29 Db.
Finally, two 6kW Proven wind turbines are to be mounted on top of the stair towers on each block, providing 60,000 kWh of clean energy annually.
The U-Values were calculated using BuildDesk Software. BuildDesk software helps designers and energy assessors calculate the energy efficiency of buildings for both Building Regulations and Energy Performance Certificate purposes.
Project Objectives:
The project has a number of key objectives:
- to extend the life of the building for another 40 years
- to improve SAP ratings and improve thermal comfort for residents
- to reduce fuel poverty concerns for many residents
- to improve the appearance of the towers in line with the wider regeneration of the area
- to establish an exemplar of building-integrated renewable technologies
Challenges Faced
Constructing new flats on the top floor of a tower block presents a number of logistical challenges, as does removing externally facing bricks from 24 storeys! Even scaffolding at this height presents its own unique problems.
The concept of dual turbines on top of an existing residential tower has never been done before and required the support of a wide range of authorities including local Councillors, NATS, the MOD, the planning authority and local environmental health teams. However, due to extensive and ongoing consultation resident support has been strong from the outset.
Potential for replication
In order to meet future Government carbon reduction commitments, the measures to be undertaken within this project will need to become far more common place. The greater use of insulated over cladding (external wall insulation) as well as micro generation technologies will play an important part of meeting those objectives as we ‘Green’ existing social housing stock
Costs and funding
The core of the project funding comes from H& F Homes’ regeneration budget but was also supported by a substantial grant from the London Development Agency’s Targeted Development Stream and CESP funding for carbon reduction measures, obtained via British Gas. In addition, the revenue from the market sale of the 12 new penthouse flats will feed back into the project budget, with further income derived from the conversion of the ground storey into office space for the borough’s Community Liaison department.
Rockwool Group solutions
| Application/service | Solution |
| External Wall insulation | Rockwool RockShield |
| Cavity Wall insulation | Rockwool HP EnergySaver |
Dry lining Partition Wall | Rockwool Flexi |
| Cladding system | Rockpanel Rockclad Xtreme board Rockpanel Woods |
| Acoustic ceiling | Rockfon |
| U-value Calculations | BuildDesk |
