gs8 | Zero Energy Bills, Carpenters Yard

What is gs8’s ‘Planet Positive Framework?

To complement the benefits of the dwellings’ carbon saving technologies, Carpenters Yard is being built in line with gs8's ‘Planet Positive Framework’. This goes beyond ‘low carbon’ or even ‘net zero ready’ homes. Neighbourhoods created by gs8 are designed to store more carbon than they create over their lifetime. The site is also under gs8’s Zero Waste Charter where all non-contaminated material is either repurposed, redesigned back into the development or recycled through the supply chain rather than being sent to landfill.

Lee Benjamin, Procurement Manager at gs8 described the project challenges: “Carpenter’s Yard has pushed every boundary of conventional housebuilding. From materials to design - every decision was made with our Planet Positive Framework at its core. It’s not just about delivering homes for us but about proving what’s possible when you commit to building for the future. We are all proud to be working on this project.”

The homes at Carpenters Yard are designed to be ultra-efficient, low maintenance and climate resilient. Each home is targeted to achieve an EPC A rating of 110+, putting them among the most energy efficient dwellings in the UK.

The architects for the project, Boehm Lynas, have worked with gs8 for the past 11 years. They were jointly awarded a RIBA National Award and were winners of two London awards. That included the RIBA London Sustainability Award in 2024 for The Arbour, a Planet Positive project in Walthamstow. 

Boehm Lynas are currently working with gs8 on a new development in Wootton, expected to set new benchmarks for socially and environmentally conscious development in the UK, delivered in partnership with The Crown Estate. Gs8 were selected for their innovative and consistent approach to creating high-quality homes that combine design excellence with functionality and a regenerative approach. The project is targeting upfront carbon of less than 300kg CO₂ /m² and operational energy use intensity of less than 30kWh/m²/year^[2].

Why are STEICO’s wood fibre insulation products well matched with gs8’s ‘Positive Planet Framework’?

Gs8’s goal is to build homes to stand the test of time. Their Planet Positive Framework focuses on key areas that are carefully considered when selecting construction products for their developments. These include:

• Whole life carbon emissions
• Waste management
• Climate resilience
• Durability and quality

Lee Benjamin sums up the gs8 approach to material selection on the project: “At gs8 we are setting the benchmark for the UK housing industry. Every material we choose and continue to choose, is guided by our Planet Positive principles, ensuring homes are healthy, future-proof and regenerative. By working with innovative partners like STEICO, we are proving that homes can be design-led, regenerative, functional and financially viable, while also being delivered at scale”.

Timber products from STEICO offer a way for developers to use an insulation largely composed of  PEFC certified wood. This helps deliver energy efficiency and assists in reducing the embodied carbon for projects where sustainability is high priority.

STEICO products align well with gs8’s Planet Positive Framework and provide materials to help to deliver cutting edge sustainable housebuilding for the Carpenters Yard development.

Wood fibre insulation and whole life carbon emissions

STEICO wood fibre insulation is made from more than 80% natural wood sourced from PEFC certified forestry, many STEICO products have third party EPDs that reflect the bound carbon dioxide equivalent content.

This ties in well with gs8’s targets of storing more carbon on the development than is used in its construction and maintenance.

Wood fibre insulation can support waste management strategies

As STEICO wood fibre insulation products are derived from wood, sourced from PEFC certified forestry, they can be re-purposed on site or recycled.

Can wood fibre insulation support climate resilience?

As well as offering protection from the cold in winter, climate resilient dwellings need to be able to provide comfortable internal conditions during periods of high heat in the summer where overheating can occur. STEICO wood fibre insulation can help to minimise this overheating effect and provide comfortable conditions all year round.

Wood fibre insulating materials are characterised by a higher raw density than other insulation types such as PIR boards and low-density mineral wool rolls and batts. They can offer much greater resistance to heat radiation due to their higher heat storage capacity. The heat of the day is buffered in the insulation material until the cooler evening hours. Independent studies^[4] show that days with unpleasantly high indoor temperatures can be reduced by as much as 33% by using wood fibre insulation materials.

Wood fibre insulation’s durability and quality

All STEICO wood fibre insulation products are manufactured to EN standards or have European Technical Approvals and use PEFC certified softwood. Third party verified EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations) are available on many products. This is so that the environmental information can be included for developers such as gs8 where this information is a key specification parameter. As the insulation is diffusion open, this reduces condensation risks to help prolong the life of the building fabric. 

When asked about the positive planet project, Martin Twamley, Technical Director at STEICO commented; “At STEICO, we are proud of the positive contribution that our wood fibre insulation products can make to sustainability. Gs8’s positive planet framework is very much in tune with our vision to create products using naturally derived materials to give our customers a choice of insulation that may fit well with their environmental project aspirations. It was a pleasure to see STEICO products used on this groundbreaking site where they will help deliver all year-round comfort to the residents of the Carpenters Yard community”.

Where can I find more information about wood fibre insulation solutions?

If you would like more information about the STEICO range of wood fibre insulation, please contact  our technical team where one of our experts will be happy to answer any questions you may have about STEICO products and systems. If you would like to know where your nearest local supplier of STEICO products is, we have a list of our UK supply partners here.