Construction methods; steel structure with prefabricated panels.

The construction of the homes (senior, community, nursing home or student home) is based upon a building method with prefabricated sections. The three and five storey buildings have a steel core skeleton. The steel core is made of hot rolled high tensile steel and is galvanised to prevent corrosion (of extra importance in coastal areas) and additionally protected with fire retardant paint. The core will not require any welding due to the use of high tensile bolts. Floors, the façade, and inside walls, will be constructed using precast panels. The panels are made from autoclaved aerated concrete and have unique properties: lightweight, fast and easy installation, unique thermal insulation, high acoustic insulation and cost-effective pricing. The glass roof will also be completely prefabricated in the factory and will be lifted on top of the building on-site. The use of the highest quality aluminium window frames and doors supports this approach.

Energy neutral approach

Pulchram will strive to make the building as energy neutral as possible. The wall and roof panels, window and window frames support the energy neutral goal. Because of the high thermal insulation, energy consumption will be low. The roof will be fitted with a maximum number of PV panels, and if possible space adjacent to the building, will also be used to make the building energy neutral. If the building plot does not allow any ground-mounted PV panels, Pulchram will strive to make the building as energy neutral as possible.

In addition to the deployment of a large set of PV panels, the use of air-to-air heat/cooling pumps and underfloor heating on the ground floor, will provide a solid base for an economical and highly efficient heating/cooling system, ensuring the buildings’ low carbon footprint.