Code To Success: Oberon Court Achieves CSH Level 5 Standard

Stroma Technology, leading providers of building compliance assessments and energy carbon consultancy services, have delivered a package of complementary services on the groundbreaking Oberon Court residential development, one of London’s most energy-conscious buildings.

The Code for Sustainable Homes is the Government-owned standard for certifying the environmental performance of new homes.

It assigns a rating from Level 0 to Level 6, where Level 6 is equivalent to ‘zero carbon’.

The scheme was awarded a Level 5 Code for Sustainable Homes rating – the second highest level available – and demonstrated high standards of sustainability, alongside high build quality and aesthetics.

Stroma Technology’s services covered the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) assessment, as well as Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) assessment and provision of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), daylight calculations, air-tightness testing and acoustic consultancy services. By conducting CSH and SAP assessments and daylight calculations through a single colocated team, Stroma Technology provided an efficient, integrated service that delivered financial and programme benefits to the scheme, and their assessors’ proactive involvement from the early project stages onwards was critical in achieving CSH Level 5. The development employs a number of sustainable measures to meet the onerous requirements of Level 5.

A wide range of technologies have been used, from renewable energy (eg solar PV panels) to water conservation devices (eg greywater recycling). The buildings are also super-insulated, have a high level of air-tightness, and are fitted with heat recovery ventilation and hot water heat recovery systems.

The development provides 42 new homes for sale, rent or shared ownership within the East Ham district of London. It was delivered by housing association L&Q and developer Hill Partnerships, with the first residents moving in during December 2011.