OUR VISION

LOCAL OWNERSHIP = LOCAL CONTROL

Full, high-energy involvement by local people is vital. We are working with groups around the county to find sites and promote community ownership. We offer our specialist skills and experience on design and construction, finances, tenancies and housing management.

PRO-PLANET AND PRO-TENANT

We are committed to creating high-insulation, low energy homes, and adding green energy generation wherever possible. Lower carbon emissions, and lower bills for tenants!

DEFENDING HERITAGE

Most of our projects are historic buildings. We work hard, and invest extra money, to preserve and improve the fabric as we bring these much-loved buildings back to life.
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PRO-PLANET

At Three Seas Cornwall, our goal is to create more opportunities for affordable housing, but we believe this doesn’t have to happen at the sacrifice of the planet. We’re passionate about giving heritage buildings a new lease of life – not just for today, but for the future. That’s why our retrofit work is guided by three key environmental goals:

1. Energy efficiency
2. Sustainable material choices
3. Use of green energy
   

These principles shape how we refurbish heritage buildings into warm, affordable homes for local people – while respecting their historic character and protecting the planet.

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Our starting point, before thinking about solar panels or heat pumps, is to improve the building itself. This is called a “fabric first” approach – making the walls, floors, windows and roof as energy-efficient as possible to stop heat escaping in the first place.

We draw inspiration from Passivhaus – a world-leading standard in building energy performance. Passivhaus looks at things like high levels of insulation, airtight construction, and heat recovery ventilation.

While Passivhaus can be a great option for some building contexts, especially new builds, improving historic and listed buildings can be more complex as it may not be possible to alter or remove historic fabric.  In addition, modern building principles of keeping air in, is contrary to traditional methods based on the principles of breathability.

So instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, we adapt Passivhaus principles to work with the building’s historic fabric, not against it, to fit with the buildings we are working with and the communities these buildings are in. This includes considerations such as implementing where we can high levels of insulation, improving air tightness, and utilising heat recovery ventilation systems.

Some ways in which we can improve a building’s energy efficiency through a refurbishment can be:

• Insulating floors and walls
• Improving windows and doors
• Installing mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR)

SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL CHOICES

The materials we use matter, not just for the look and feel of the building, but for the planet too. Where possible, we will use natural or low-carbon materials that work in harmony with buildings and their traditional construction. This can enable us to preserve the breathability of the building’s fabric, whilst still improving its energy efficiency. This can include using modern versions of traditional materials, where appropriate, such as:

• Natural materials like wood fibre insulation
• Lime-based renders and plasters ‍‍
  

Green Energy  

Once the building fabric is performing well, we look at renewable energy and heat recovery ventilation options. These options not only allow us to lower carbon emissions during the refurbishment and use of the building but can also lower costs to residents in the long-term. Where it’s possible and appropriate, we will explore the installation of:

• Solar panels (especially on hidden roof slopes)
• Green electricity supply options
• Air or ground source heat pumps

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‍LOOE COASTGUARD FLATS

The flats are 11 small one-bed and two-bed flats, in a Grade II listed building. Many have been empty for some time. Their surface condition is often poor, with damp, wood rot, general decay and electrics/plumbing that is outdated and may be dangerous. The flats are noisy and hard to heat; some have poor layouts that waste space and are uncomfortable. However, the basic structure is sound and can be refurbished to a high standard.
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Click into the viewer above to take a tour of two of the Looe Coastguard flats. We have added pins along the route to highlight some of the areas we are hoping to create energy efficiencies throughout the retrofit and refurbishment process.