Energy efficient Bournville refurbishment
programme shortlisted in national award
17th July 2012

A major programme to improve the energy efficiency of homes and at the same time restore the character of one of Birmingham’s most historic suburbs, has won national recognition.

Profile 22 and Profile 22 Approved Window Contractor, Stafford have been shortlisted in the Large Housing Retrofit Project of the Year category of the Sustainable Housing Awards for a project to install energy efficient windows and doors in Bournville.

Representing the first large scale specification of PVC-U windows and composite doors in the area, the wholesale refurbishment across its 314 property portfolio, was commissioned by Bournville Works Housing Society in 2011.

The preservation and restoration of the character of individual properties and the area more widely, were prioritised as part of the two-year project delivery programme alongside the thermal efficiency of properties.

Window and door frames, as a consequence, feature a cream wood-grain foil, specified to deliver enhanced energy efficiency while emulating the appearance of original timber windows without on-going maintenance costs.

Dee Benning, managing director, Stafford, said: “This has been a very important project for us in a historically important part of Birmingham.

“The windows in Bournville define the character of the individual properties but in the estate cream, the character of the area more broadly.

“We worked closely with the trust, Bournville architects and Profile 22 to develop a solution that was visually sympathetic to original timber windows but which delivered energy savings for residents and maintenance savings for the trust.”

Set up in 1919 to provide housing for employees and pensioners of chocolatiers, Cadbury, Bournville Works Housing Society (BWHS) has been part of the Bournville Trust Group since January 2011. Run on a co-operative model with the society’s chairman and tenants responsible for all elements of its operation.

The Sustainable Housing Awards, organised by Inside Housing magazine and its sister publication Sustainable Housing, focus on the best green social housing projects and innovations.

Commenting on the short-listing, the fifth year in succession that Profile 22 has been commended, Andrew Reid, commercial director, Epwin Group Window Systems Division, said: “The Sustainable Housing Awards celebrate the best in innovation in the social sector.

“Bournville is an important project, not simply for us, but more broadly for the sector, as it demonstrates how the low maintenance and affordable energy efficient solutions are there for older housing stock and the very real benefits that they can deliver to end users and housing providers.

“With so many roads these days having poorly designed window styles giving a disjointed appearance to the street scene, Bournville is also a shining beacon of what can be done when all parties work together to ensure the correct specification and design.”

This year’s event will be held at the Hilton Hotel in London’s Park Lane on Friday 19th October.
 

www.profile22.co.uk