NHBC Foundation on Future Homes – Avoiding Unintended Consequences 

THE NHBC Foundation has today published a new report that gives advice and guidance to housebuilders on the Future Homes Standard. The report considers the challenges that may arise from energy saving measures in new homes and how these could be overcome.

While construction principles and technology largely exist to enable new build homes to be future-proofed with low carbon heating and world-leading levels of energy efficiency by 2025, work still needs to be done on bridging gaps in the house-building industry’s knowledge, skills and practices to deliver these homes reliably and at volume.

Heating, ventilation and design considerations are the three key themes outlined in ‘Future Homes – Avoiding unintended consequences’. The report also covers issues that are fundamental to homeowners, such as comfort, usability and resilience to climate change.

The report, in association with Studio Partington, is available in a new, interactive digital format. Designed to act as a resource for the industry, the website will also signpost users to other guides and learning.

Richard Smith, NHBC Head of Standards, Innovation and Research

Richard Smith, NHBC’s Head of Standards, Innovation and Research, said: “The Future Homes Standard will set the UK in the forefront of global ambitions to achieve net-zero homes. We want this ongoing project to become a forum for knowledge and a stimulus for thinking about the home in use, as well as its design for future homeowners. Our aim is for it to prompt discussion, identify the scale of the challenge and be a reminder of lessons from the recent past.

“Over the coming months, we will continue to identify the challenges and anticipate possible consequences, thinking particularly of homeowners’ needs and the things that should be in place to allow our homes to function efficiently.”

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