Caption reads from left to right: Jamie Saunders, Director, Northmores; Matthew Ramplin, Senior Contracts Manager, Barnes Construction; Ann Bonnett, Chair, Girton Town Charity; Robin Hiley, Trustee, Girton Town Charity and Ian Bramwell, Director, Mole Architects.
A Cambridge charity is marking the completion of a £5 million building project to create 15 new energy-efficient almshouses for local residents.
Following an 18-month building programme, Girton Town Charity took ownership of Dovehouse Court, where all the homes have been built to stringent Passivhaus standards to achieve maximum energy efficiency. The development also includes a new office for the Charity.
The project was funded by Girton Town Charity (GTC) and a £675,000 grant from the Combined Authority, and delivered by Barnes Construction, Northmores and Mole Architects.
The homes have been designed for extended independent living with an internal layout that includes a master bedroom and small second room, open plan living/kitchen/dining area with access to balconies or individual terraces on the ground floor. There’s also a central communal landscaped garden with seating, an orchard and allotments.
Being built to Passivhaus standards results in low energy costs and improved indoor air quality, all made possible by installing energy-efficient windows and doors, with stricter levels of airtightness, mechanical ventilation and heat recovery, as well as high levels of building insulation.
Ann Bonnett, Chair of GTC said: “This is a major milestone for us and we are delighted to have now taken ownership of Dovehouse Court and after many years, seen our plans to futureproof housing in our Village come to fruition. I’d like to thank all the contractors who worked on the site for doing such a splendid job over the last 18 months as well as my fellow Trustees.
“We are also very grateful to the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority which has given us a grant of £675,000 towards the cost of creating these new homes to be appreciated by residents for many years to come.”
Matthew Ramplin, Senior Contracts Manager, Barnes Construction added: “Dovehouse Court has been a special project for us, building to Passivhaus standards to create energy-efficient almshouses that will be cost-effective to run and comfortable for residents. I’d like to thank our consultant team, our own team on-site and also GTC for giving us the opportunity to be part of its vision to expand housing provision in the Village.”
Over the next few weeks, GTC will be welcoming back residents who lived in the former bungalows on the site, as well as inviting applications from Girton residents over 55 or those who have a close connection to the Village and would like to be considered for one of the homes.