The team at EcoSpace 41 have built a prototype 3-bedroom 2-storey detached house at the BRE Innovation Park in Watford. Spanning an impressive and family-friendly 1345sqft, this house has not only showcased the extraordinary speed of build, but also, and just as importantly, the high quality of materials used and the excellent finishing throughout the house.
Our show house.
Foundation
This LGSF house requires a Pad Foundation with reinforcing mesh incorporated into the concrete. Foundation depth requirements are dependent on the size of the building and the stability of the ground. We have surveyors available to assess this on a site by site basis.
Internal Walls
All internal walls and ceilings are covered with 12mm OSB board, 12.5mm plaster board, a 3mm plaster skim and are then painted and decorated. The entirety of the flooring, both at ground and first floor levels (excluding the kitchen & bathroom) are made up of 18mm OSB board, 5mm floor insulation, and then finished with 20mm solid oak flooring. Before plasterboards were added, all joints between OSB boards were taped using special draft proof tape.
LGS Structure (Light Gauge Galvanised Steel)
Structurally, the house is constructed from modular steel frames which are then stiffened with prefabricated LGS panels carefully positioned under our lead-engineer’s supervision. The LGS is 100mm x 50mm x 1mm. These panels are positioned and secured with 100mm bolts, whilst being attached to the foundations using 300mm rods with a chemical fix. The rest of the structure in bolted together in much the same way. Once the side panels are in position, the structure is stiffened with 400mm steel joists and then LGS roof trusses are added.
External walls
The makeup of the external walls comprises, in addition to the steel frame at its core, 12mm OSB board, breathable felt paper, 75mm Celotex (to be upgraded to 100mm Celotex for future projects), 10mm fibreboard and covered with K-Render. For style purposes of this show house, we have elected to cover the fibreboard with 10mm brick panelling on the upper level, with the lower level being left with the K-Render exposed, but a range of external finishes is available.
Roof
LGS roof trusses are covered with 18mm OSB board, breathable felt paper, a waterproof membrane and overlaid with Marley Slate tiles. The roof is vented at the soffit and the dry ridge. All soffit and facia are covered with 16mm UPVC soffit and facia board, then complimented with deep flow guttering and down pipes.
Insulation
Insulation of the show house is comprised of 100mm Rockwool BAT, installed in between the steel frame and all walls, ceilings and roof areas. Initial air tightness test indicates a rating of 5.2 out of 25.
Get in touch
If you are interested in exploring the opportunities in working with Ecospace 41 please feel free to get in touch for an informal discussion.