Natural House, Watford

Natural House, Watford

Client: Prince's Foundation
Type of works: the Alutec Traditional Moulded Ogee gutter and 76mm Traditional Circular downpipe in Anthracite Grey were specified.

Products from Marley Alutec’s range of highly sustainable rainwater systems have been installed at the BRE Innovation Park, Watford, as part of the showcase Natural House built by the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment.

Featuring ten of the world’s most sustainable houses, including the Natural House, the BRE Innovation Park is a ground-breaking demonstration development designed to give a glimpse of how the future delivery of sustainable buildings and communities can be achieved. As an educational charity focused on teaching timeless and ecological ways of planning, designing and building, the Prince’s Foundation was seeking high quality, sustainable solutions for its contribution to the park, and Marley Alutec’s sustainable, 100% recyclable products fit the bill perfectly.

James Hulme, Director of Policy and Research at the Prince’s Foundation, said: “Throughout the specification process we were looking for products with an emphasis on the superior quality and longevity that is stressed in all of our builds. In terms of aesthetics, we wanted a robust but traditional profile for the rainwater system.

“Classic cast iron was very expensive and none of the other alternatives really met our requirements, so we considered Marley Alutec’s offering instead. After carefully examining the manufacturing processes and the recyclable content of the materials, we were convinced that it was the solution we needed.”

The project architect, Lenka Shulzova, specified the Alutec Traditional Moulded Ogee gutter and 76mm Traditional Circular downpipe in Anthracite Grey. Designed to emulate traditional cast iron profiles, the system is manufactured from cast and
extruded high grade aluminium. With 100% recyclable content, aluminium is one of the only materials that can be reused again and again without loss of quality, and using just 5% of the original processing energy.

In addition, aluminium is extremely lightweight and flexible, making it easier to handle on site, which in turn leads to quicker build times – particularly when compared to traditional cast iron systems, which are extremely heavy. This, coupled with its extensive lifespan of more than 50 years, made Marley Alutec’s rainwater system perfectly suited for the Natural House.

Drainage contractor John Nason, who installed the products, said: “I have used Marley Alutec’s products for many years – I fit more Alutec gutters than any other kind as they are much better to install. I find that everything about the way Alutec products work is better.”

Commenting on the finished house, Jaya Skandamoorthy, Director of Enterprise and Innovation at BRE, said: “All of the properties at the BRE Innovation Park demonstrate diverse and innovative approaches to sustainable construction. The Marley Alutec products installed at the Natural House have contributed towards the creation of a low-energy and highly sustainable home for the future.”

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