Scottish-First Trial Underway at Easterhouse Social Housing Development

An innovative research project could transform the way social housing is built in the future and reduce energy bills.

Led by Wheatley Group in partnership with CCG and MAST Architects, the Scottish-first trial will see six of the forty-seven homes constructed at the newly-completed Shandwick Street in Easterhouse, Glasgow, monitored for a 12-month duration to accurately determine if they meet and/or exceed current Passivhaus build standards.

The thermal efficiency of the properties and the in-use energy consumption of the occupants will be analysed, with the results helping to shape future housing regulatory standards in Scotland.

Lindsay Lauder, Director of Development and Regeneration at Wheatley Group, said: “As the largest provider of social housing in Scotland, we have an important role to play in exploring new thinking and technology to address the issue of rising fuel bills.

“Each of the six properties in the research has received unique enhancements, including upgraded fabrics for insulation, enhanced levels of airtightness, and a reduction in the levels of non-repeat thermal bridging.

“The results will be shared with the Scottish Government and the wider sector to help shape future new build housing, not only for Wheatley and its tenants but for all tenants of new build affordable homes in Scotland.”

The Scottish Government has announced plans to introduce a new Scottish equivalent to the Passivhaus standard – an international energy performance standard for buildings which aims to reduce the requirement for space heating and cooling.

Wheatley and MAST Architects commissioned Dr Richard Atkins, a leading environmental and sustainability architect, to write a report detailing the technical standards that will be applied to the six homes.

Dr Atkins said: “The intention is that a rigorous quality assurance process is carried out during construction of the blocks, like those undertaken on Passivhaus projects, to ensure the houses are constructed as designed.

“This will ensure the performance gap, which often exists between buildings as designed and constructed, is minimised, and to also understand any additional requirements this poses on the project team.”

CCG led the construction of the development through the use of the enhanced closed panel timber system known as ‘iQ’.

The ‘iQ’ System is fabricated in CCG OSM, one of the UK’s most advanced offsite manufacturing facilities, with insulation, internal wall linings, windows, and external doors installed under factory-controlled conditions.

The six pilot homes were fabricated under the same conditions as the forty-one homes that were built to the Glasgow Standard (Silver Aspects 2-8 and Gold Aspect 1 of Scottish Building Standards), but received an added layer of enhancement to reach the rigorous airtightness levels of the Passivhaus accreditation.

This included CCG’s own Passivhaus-accredited, triple-glazed PVCu windows, and enhanced door sets – fabricated in partnership with REHAU UK – with enhanced detailing around openings to ensure there is no thermal bridging, and minimal heat loss.

CCG Managing Director, David Wylie, added: “In light of recent regulatory and statutory changes, coupled with material and cost inflation, making affordable housing affordable has never been more challenging.

“With a focus on a just net zero transition and the potential introduction of the Scottish Passivhaus Equivalent, this research is incredibly important to understanding how enhanced building standards can be practically delivered at scale, while continuing to address localised housing needs. We share Wheatley’s enthusiasm and foresight and look forward to working with them and MAST Architects in the months ahead.”

CCG has pioneered Passivhaus in Scotland since 2011, including Scotland’s largest development in Dundashill, which was formally accredited in 2024, and West Dunbartonshire Council’s first-ever Passivhaus homes in Pappert, Bonhill, which will be brought to completion in spring 2025.