Wienerberger announces plan to build e4 brick house

Wienerberger, the leading provider of wall, roof and landscaping innovations, has announced that work is set to start on building an e4 brick house at BRE’s (Building Research Establishment) prestigious Innovation Park in Watford early next year.

The Wienerberger e4 brick house concept was developed to address the need for affordable, sustainable housing in the UK. Designed in conjunction with global engineering and design consultancy, ARUP, the e4 brick house model focuses on the four pillars of Wienerberger’s global e4 concept – energy, economy, environment and emotion.

The e4 brick house utilises a fabric first approach using a clay building envelope. This minimises the energy needs of the home and the related costs, a significant benefit for homeowners with the average energy bill exceeding £1300 per annum The house being built at the BRE Innovation Park is the three bedroom detached design although the concept can be used for a wide range of sizes and typologies.

The Wienerberger e4 brick house will also be built to the new housing standard that the BRE is currently developing which aims to allow developers to differentiate their product in the marketplace by recognising performance beyond minimum regulation and provide increased choice for the consumer. This will make the e4 brick house the first house in the world built to this new standard, which will rate the quality, efficiency and performance of new homes.

Richard Brown, Category Marketing Manager for Wall at Wienerberger and project lead for e4, commented: “We are delighted to be building an e4 brick house at the BRE’s Innovation Park. The Innovation Park is home to some of the world’s finest examples of sustainable buildings, landscape designs and hundreds of pioneering low carbon materials and technologies. This is the perfect setting to showcase the Wienerberger e4 Brick House concept.

“The BRE has been very supportive of the concept. Having an e4 brick house that is the first in the world built to BRE’s new housing standard being developed ensures that Wienerberger and the e4 concept remain at the forefront of innovation and industry leadership.”

BRE Business Development Director Miles Watkins said: "We are very pleased the e4 brick house is coming to the Innovation Park and to have it pilot our new homes standard. In the UK we have a critical need for quality, affordable, sustainable homes that can be delivered with speed. We are currently managing to deliver 125,000 housing units against the estimated 250,000 required - homes like the e4 can help us close the gap.”

The build will begin in January with a view to officially opening the house in April 2015.