Project Case Studies

Building gets Eco-makeover

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The property home to the Copin household was built in 1975 with a low level of insulation. Mr Copin had planned to improve the insulation for several years but has so far been held back by heavy investment in other areas, such as a new boiler.

As a participant in Eco n’Home, Mr Copin decided to build a new skin for the property and wanted to take a global approach: using insulating materials with low embodied energy, which could be produce locally and which are renewable. He therefore chose bricks made of hemp for the walls – building over the existing structure, and cork panels for the roof. This new external layer provides insulation, with three advantages: avoid thermal walls, combine a good insulation with a good thermal inertia, and to retain the same internal floor area. For the roof, cork, which is a heavy material, is also a good combination of inertia and insulation. Mr Copin is now able to experience significant savings in energy in a comfortable house, both in winter and in summer.

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