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Potter's Farm Barn, Betchworth

The development at Potter’s Farm consisted of the extension and renovation of an existing timber-framed barn building. The work involved the digging-out of a new basement area and the insertion of a mezzanine into the existing structure. The construction work provided approximately 2,700 ft² of floor area for use as a craft workshop.

The original planning permission had a condition requiring a BREEAM Industrial assessment for the scheme. For such a specialised development (with a limited footprint) we considered a full BREEAM assessment to be an excessive requirement. We worked with Mole Valley District Council and the design team to agree an alternative approach to demonstrating how sustainable design was integral to the proposal through a less formal appraisal process. The cost savings in the appraisal process were then invested in improvements to the building fabric and the application of sustainable technologies including:

  • Low energy lighting
  • Heat recovery ventilation system
  • Ground-source heat-pump linked to under-floor heating
  • Solar-thermal hot-water with boost from ground-source heat-pump
  • Photovoltaic panels
  • Rainwater harvesting serving WCs and all process sinks
  • Minimal waste to landfill during construction
  • EPC A rating

The project was a great demonstration of how sustainable design principals could be used effectively in a historic building to deliver an efficient and flexible working environment.

Client: Committed to Cloth

Architect: Space Shuffle

Main Contractor: Leon Victor

Renewable Energy Systems: Invicta Clean Energy

Services provided by Mecserve: Sustainability benchmarking