The Ecology Consultancy has worked with the pioneering and forward-thinking German bespoke housing engineers HUF HAUS on a range of housing projects in England. HUF HAUS are innovators, not only in terms of sustainability, but through partnership with our experts, they are also able to deliver a robust ecological approach.
The Ecology Consultancy has worked with the pioneering and forward-thinking German bespoke housing engineers HUF HAUS on a range of housing projects in England. HUF HAUS are innovators, not only in terms of sustainability, but through partnership with our experts, they are also able to deliver a robust ecological approach.
Peter Huf, Managing Director, says, “Instructing an Ecologist at an early stage is extremely important to ascertain any issues which may arise. Having worked with The Ecology Consultancy on a variety of projects we have benefitted from their expertise to ensure the smooth running of the project from beginning to end. I highly recommend them”.
HUF HAUS housing aims for low impacts on the surrounding environment, seeking to maintain or enhance surrounding habitats. At a private house in Hertfordshire, our specialist ecologists provided mitigation for potentially disturbed bats, by creating a new bat-roost in the garden of the proposed building with the HUF HAUS design team.
For the site of proposed new HUF HAUS show-home in Surrey, we carried out a scoping survey and assessed the potential of trees present to support roosting bats, and set out the ecological constraints. Discussing the development proposals on-site, gave us a clear understanding of the low-impact nature of the construction and operation of the proposal. This, together with the identified constraints, enabled us to formulate a proportionate and practical approach for mitigation, in which we assumed a ‘worst case scenario’ for the most sensitive species likely to be present. The jointly agreed mitigation measures covered habitat retention, habitat protection, clearance methods if required, maintaining habitat connectivity, minimal lighting, wildlife-friendly construction methods and enhancement.
Stakeholders, including Natural England, endorsed our proposals based on the comprehensive and pro-active mitigation design.
Low carbon technology coupled with responsible sourcing of “cradle to grave” manufactured products, places HUF HAUS at the forefront of sustainable housing. This includes achieving the lowest possible energy consumption and environmental impact during the construction process. The company is now also exploring the viability of incorporating even greater environmental benefits, such as biodiverse green roofs, into their new specifications.
The HUF HAUS Green Revolution is a concept introduced two years ago and now achieves groundbreaking low levels of energy consumption. The reductions are the result of revolutionary design and engineering innovations. The company’s commitment to minimising waste, avoiding fossil fuels, integration of photovoltaics and heating systems and high-spec insulation, are matched by ergonomic building design and engineering, which continue to improve the energy efficiency of the new generation of HUF houses. New standards have been set in post-and-beam construction, demonstrating that building with wood, an age-old tradition, can intelligently be adapted to meet today’s needs.
