WHAT WE DO
Whether you have found your site or are still looking, we can advise every step of the way.
We specialise in energy-efficient homes and work with you to design a house that meets your needs. Our expert team of architects and builders have first-hand experience in providing best-in-class design, manufacture and build.
Using this knowledge and cutting-edge technology to design and develop these super-efficient houses, we constantly innovate and refine our method, ensuring each home not only looks beautiful but has the latest processes to provide you with the sustainable build you desire.
The PassivHaus Low Energy Standard and a SAP rating of 100 can be achieved: zero carbon & even positive energy. This exceptional rating makes these the most efficient standard houses available to self-builders.
It is important to note that achieving such onerous standards is not a “one size fits all” approach. Instead, all of our houses can meet these standards, and each design is optimised using site-specific data so that every client gets an efficient home.
For more information, and to discuss your requirements, get in touch and we’d be delighted to assist.
REDEFINING SUSTAINABLE LIVING
We lead the way in the provision of pre-designed houses, with our designs achieving the Passivhaus Low Energy Standard as customary each design and construction element is audited for sustainability, pushing the current Caber House designs to be ever increasingly sustainable.
By regularly assessing what we offer, the next Caber House will be the best yet – an achievement we are proud of as innovation and development are two key core strengths in our business. We achieved zero-carbon energy performance with our designs a couple of years ago and have been developing them ever since.
Our Architects are focused and passionate about redefining sustainable living. They are experts in their field, including being RIAS Certified in Sustainable Buildings and experienced Passivhaus Designers. Our engineers develop creative solutions to reduce impact, and our build team has a proven track record in delivering low energy houses.
We carry out site-specific energy modelling, optimising your house for its unique location. By optimising your design, we ensure the excellent performance offered is cost-effective. If we identify a better way to do something, we audit it and then implement it. It is the constant research and development of our product that drives the sustainable agenda of our range. And, we don’t wait for legislation and regulation to determine what we do but push every one of our Caber Houses to be a sustainable building today.
It’s not only our exceptional houses, but you will find our customer service is second to none too and we are are so confident in our service that we offer a six-year guarantee with every house we build. We’re happy to discuss how we do this if you want to know specifics; however, we are sure you will agree, a list of u-values, window performance, mechanical kit etc., is meaningless unless it is all designed to work as a whole.
PASSIVHAUS
Passivhaus is a low energy standard developed in Germany that reduces the heating required by a building to negligible levels, thus negating a traditional heating system requirement.
Caber House has used this standard as a basis for our house designs. This has resulted in all designs being to the Low Energy Standard and can typically be enhanced to full Passivhaus Standard with an upgrade package.
Passivhaus design ensures that an excellent thermal envelope is provided (well insulated), reduces thermal bridges (building elements which pass through the insulation allowing heat transference), is exceptionally airtight (eliminates leaks and draughts) and has whole-house ventilation via a highly efficient Heat Recovery Unit (heat is transferred from the stale air being exhausted to the entering fresh air – the air never mixes). Therefore, this maintains the internal temperature and is very energy efficient, especially when combined with a renewable means of water heating, such as solar thermal.
THE PROCESS
Whether you have found your site or are still looking, we can advise you every step of the way.
When you have chosen your house type, we will discuss layout options to ensure your Caber House meets your requirements. Cost is kept to a minimum by sticking to the standard Caber House designs as they are. And of course, we also build to bespoke requirements and make any specific amendments to our standard homes should you wish to make alterations to suit your personal needs.
There are several options for the appearance of your Caber House. The appearance is adaptable and can differ significantly depending on your preferences. We will make recommendations, offer advice, assist with your decisions throughout the process, discuss construction methods and energy specifications with you and advise you on your site’s best options.
Using the latest BIM software, 3D computer models will be provided to you to explore the proposed house. This allows excellent feedback for design alterations to your requirements. Once you are delighted with the design, we will proceed with the Planning Application. We handle the Planning Application on your behalf and have a good track record of receiving Approvals in most Local Authority areas.
Once Planning is secured, we obtain the Building Warrant. For this, we need site information which we will ask you to provide. This includes trial pit information to specify the correct foundation and a percolation test to enable the site-specific drainage design. Depending on site topography, we may also require a Topographical Survey to obtain on your behalf. We will give you clear instructions on how the information should be provided – if you prefer, we can sort all this out. However, your costs are kept low as possible if you give this information.
Once the Warrant is obtained, the SIP kit or timber frame is manufactured. There are several options as to what is provided from this point. You may wish the kit only, groundworks and kit to wind and watertight, a managed build using local contractors, or complete turn-key. This will be discussed at the commencement of the project, and our services will be adapted to suit you.
Caber House provides cutting edge, sustainable, low energy homes to self-builders.
The advanced designs of Caber House have been developed by architect Colin Potter, principal of Architeco, a sustainable design specialist with RIAS Accreditation in Sustainability, and one of the first architects in the UK to receive Passivhaus Certification.
The designs have been refined over the last six years and now provide some of the most efficient standard houses available today.
Caber House provides pre-designed low- and zero-carbon turnkey builds by working with excellent professionals and trusted builders and offers a simple and accessible route to self-build.
