Development of an off-site manufactured external wall insulation system

This project will re-imagine how deprived areas of the UK can be decarbonised and regenerated through deep retrofit in a sustainable, attractive and desirable way. By placing local people at the heart of our approach, we will create solutions that facilitate adoption at scale. This will involve consideration of all stakeholders, including homeowners, planning authorities, landlords and local communities. Project partners VundaHaus and KIN will combine their experience of architectural design and Modern Methods of Construction to create a scalable solution to achieving healthy and thriving net zero communities.

Through the development of an innovative off-site manufactured external wall insulation (EWI) system, VundaHaus aims to overcome significant industry challenges - such as installation time, cost, and skilled labour shortage - offering a scalable, cost-effective and sustainable approach to thermal efficiency.

The project's innovation lies in its people-centred design and system thinking applied from the outset. Working hand-in-hand with local stakeholders, we will develop a scalable solution that addresses multifarious challenges presented by each retrofit project and fit individual preferences. By understanding the aesthetic, functional, and commercial needs of local communities and social landlords,we aim to produce retrofits that enhance neighbourhood aesthetics and promote regeneration while substantially improving energy efficiency, while driving down system and marginal cost making retrofit at scale viable for the first time.

By focusing on specific deprived local areas, we intend to create a blueprint for a community and people centric approach to decarbonising and regenerating neighbourhoods, considering all local stakeholders to improve quality of experience and increase likelihood of adoption. This community-centric approach will lead to improved health and wellbeing, reduced carbon emissions, and stimulate economic growth through local jobs creation.

This project represents a significant shift in the UK's approach to tackling emissions from heating our homes. By transforming the way we retrofit homes, we can build healthy, thriving, and sustainable communities, while tackling hard-to-abate emissions from domestic homes.