COP26 House is now open and available to view!

COP26 House demonstrates how beautiful, affordable homes can help meet global climate change ambitions, will open its doors to the public for two weeks only from Monday, 1 November.

The House has been built by Urban Union with the zero-carbon timber-frame building developed by Beyond Zero Homes. It was created and led by Peter Smith of Roderick James Architects.

The House has been built by Urban Union with the zero-carbon timber-frame building developed by Beyond Zero Homes. It was created and led by Peter Smith of Roderick James Architects.

Beyond Zero Homes is a collaborative group of over 20 organisations from across the home building sector who want to show the world how affordable and desirable homes can be constructed with minimal impact on the environment, using standard materials and skills available today.

As well as having a reduced reliance on concrete and steel, the COP26 House has been built mainly using locally-sourced home-grown timber provided by the BSW Group, the UK’s largest integrated forestry business, and natural materials provided by the different organisations that make up Beyond Zero Homes. Robertson Timber Engineering manufactured the timber frame and panels for the build, which were completed off-site.

It has been designed to store more carbon than is produced during its construction and will only require heating in the coldest times of the year due to the high levels of insulation. Heating, when required, will be provided by infra-red panels which heat objects and people directly, rather than heating the air. This low-cost electric solution is also almost entirely recyclable at the end of its lifecycle.

Unlike the materials used in standard homes today which are either incinerated or sent to landfill at the end of their life, the COP26 House has been designed so that it can be completely dismantled and recycled. This will be demonstrated after COP26 when the house will be deconstructed and rebuilt as part of a development of affordable homes near Aviemore.

The members of Beyond Zero Homes who worked together to build COP26 House include Roderick James Architects, Home Grown Homes, BSW, Robertson Group, Urban Union, MEDITE SMARTPLY, NorDan, National Timber Group, STEICO, Herschel Infrared, Fakro, Paul Heat Recovery, RothoBlaas, Ultimate Insulation, Ecomerchant, Circular Ecology, David Narro Associates, Roddy Clarke, IES, Radiator Digital, Orluna, Rainclear, Glenalmond Timber and Scottish Forestry.