Completed exterior of Wilmcote House. Photo: ROCKWOOL Group
Energy efficiency was not a high priority for UK social housing in the 1960s, including for Wilmcote House a complex of three connected apartment blocks comprising 107 homes. Portsmouth is the most densely populated city in the UK outside of London and the Somerstown area (in which Wilmcote House is situated) is one of the country’s most deprived zones. For decades, residents experienced high heating bills (most being in severe energy poverty) and had to cope with mould, damp and condensation that adversely affected their health.
Today, these buildings meet passive housing standards (EnerPHiT), with the result that energy consumption has plummeted by 90%. Residents now report dramatically improved living conditions and quality of life, with energy bills being a fraction of what they were in the past and noting positive impacts on health and well-being. Remarkably, advanced planning made it possible for them to stay in place while the deep energy renovation was undertaken.
