BEPIT (Bicester Eco-town Process Improvement Toolkit)

More challenging environmental standards (Code 5+) add considerable complexity to housing design, procurement and build processes causing performance in use to often fall short of design intent. This 44 month research project at Bicester eco-town, Oxfordshire will shrink this gap and assure the delivery of high-performance, low impact homes cost effectively and at scale. The consortium, led by housing provider A2Dominion and drawing on the expertise of key supply chain actors and academics, will employ a forensic mapping method to highlight process failures in technologically innovative build systems. Insights will inform the creation of a best practice toolkit for use on later phases and across the UK. Bicester is the perfect test-bed for this work as the UK's largest Code 5+ development (5,000 homes by 2026), targeting true zero carbon (unregulated emissions, no allowable solutions) and homes designed for full climate change adaptation including overheating to 2050.