Octavia Housing has recently been awarded a grant from the Technology Strategy Board to investigate how to adapt our homes to resist the effects of climate change.

The project team, including Greenwich University and Pellings Ltd, will develop a risk framework that prioritises the most effective adaptations to make to homes to protect them from adverse effects such as flooding and overheating.

Noel Brosnan, Director of Asset Management at Octavia Housing said:

“Over the coming years climate change will have a major impact on the performance of UK social housing. This project will develop a risk framework that is meaningful to both landlords and tenants and help us to prioritise and integrate adaptation interventions into our maintenance plans at an appropriate time and an acceptable cost. This will help to ensure that Octavia’s homes continue to support the well-being needs of tenants.”

This is the second part of the Technology Strategy Board’s Design for Future Climate funding competition. The first ran in 2010 and provided funding totalling £2.5m for 26 building projects. For this second part, each of the successful applicants will be awarded a contract of up to £100,000.
 

Richard Miller, Head of Sustainability at the Technology Strategy Board, said:

“We are already designing and constructing new buildings that are more energy efficient and have lower levels of CO₂ emissions, compared to existing buildings. The next challenge is to make sure our buildings are resilient and adaptable to the climate change that will take place over the coming decades. There is a significant market opportunity for design teams to develop climate adaptation services to respond to forthcoming changes in standards and regulations.”

Octavia Housing green ethos stems from our founder Octavia Hill who campaigned for clean air in London, laying the foundations for the 1956 clean air act.

The project will commence in 2012. For more information on our environmental approach please explore this site or contact green@octaviahousing.org.uk.