TALO, the specialist in offsite timber housing, has been awarded its third contract in Kent. This is to manufacture and install the timber superstructures for eight ultra-low energy homes in the town of Edenbridge for developer The Balma Group.
Project architects Edwards Wilson are working with Balma to deliver the Crofton Mews development, which comprises six three-storey, three-bed mews-style houses and two two-storey, two-bed homes. This will provide much needed family housing for market sale or rent in the centre of the town and adjacent to a primary school.
TALO’s building system is currently manufactured offsite in Finland and uses slow-grown Nordic timber for superior build quality. It arrives on site complete with triple glazing, a high level of insulation pre-installed in the factory and external walls with interior plaster boarding.
This approach means the homes at Crofton Mews will benefit from a much higher level of thermal efficiency, exceeding Passivhaus energy standards by at least 30 per cent.
TALO’s highly insulated superstructure also achieves outstanding air tightness, again exceeding Passivhaus standards. It is combined with a solar battery package and MVHR (mechanical ventilation and heat recovery), resulting in exceptionally low energy bills for homeowners or tenants.
By specifying the TALO solution, the eight homes will be installed on site and watertight in just 10 days, ready for the contractor to start fitting out.
Commenting on the decision to use TALO’s offsite system for this scheme, James Everest, Managing Director of The Balma Group:
“We estimate that the overall programme saving from using this advanced offsite housing system will be around six months. It will give us a faster return on investment and greater certainty of programme for the fit-out phase. It will also enable us to bring these new family homes to market much sooner, to the benefit of the community of Edenbridge.
The TALO approach has already generated significant cost savings in structural engineering and groundworks from its standardised design and foundations.
We also found it very useful to visit TALO’s offsite factory in Finland and to see a number of homes there under construction. The pace of work on site despite freezing temperatures was incredible.”
Project Architect, Joseph Edwards of Edwards Wilson:
“We don’t believe you can build to this level of specification and performance traditionally, without a vastly increased budget. The fact that this system is manufactured using robust, proven processes in a controlled factory environment, means heat loss is significantly reduced. The system also has a higher level of insulation for improved thermal efficiency.
As a result, these homes will comfortably exceed Building Regulations requirements for energy performance and air tightness by a considerable margin, giving occupants the benefit of much lower running costs.”
Due for completion early in 2026, the homes at Crofton Mews have been designed to complement other housing in the locality, with vertical timber cladding, a red brick plinth, metal detailing, dark grey steel-profiled gable roofs, and dark grey windows and doors.
Each home will have open plan family kitchen-living, a bay window feature, a south-east facing garden, secure bin and cycle storage, and there will be eight parking spaces and one visitor/disabled bay.
For more information about TALO’s timber offsite solutions for ultra-low energy housing, see www.talo.co.uk or email hello@talo.co.uk.
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