York Duncombe Barracks and Burnholme Passivehaus design award

Duncombe Barracks and Burnholme, a set of new, Net Zero housing developments in Clifton and Heworth have been named as a winner in the Housing Design Awards 2022 - the most prestigious and highly-regarded awards for housing in the UK.

Earlier this year City of York Council appointed Caddick Construction to build the authority's first ever zero carbon homes on the two sites and 112 certified Passivhaus homes will be built as part of the council’s housing delivery programme which aims to deliver 600 homes across the city. There will be 34 homes at Duncombe Barracks  and 83 at Burnholme. Burnholme located to the east of the city centre also includes five self-build plots, ranging from 1 bedroom 2 person flats to larger 4 bedroom 7 person family houses, with public open space, community gardens.

Local residents co-designed the projects alongside the council’s Stirling prize-winning architects Mikhail Riches, with much of the construction work due to take place off-site.

An awards spokesman said: "Led by City of York Council in an effort to change ambitions locally, these highly efficient and dynamic schemes seek to be not only Passivhaus but Net Zero Carbon in operation.

"The design team, led by Mikhail Riches, celebrates the relationship between biodiversity and social spaces through the creation of healthy streets and child friendly neighbourhoods that prioritise pedestrians, with beautiful community landscapes to bring people together."

Earlier this year Duncombe Barracks’ neighbours and local residents were invited to meet the development teams to find out about the building schedule and the techniques that will be used. Work is now underway on the site in Clifton.

Work at the Duncombe Barracks site in York. Picture: Haydn Lewis (Image: Picture: Haydn Lewis)

As part of its commitment to the local economy, Caddick is creating 30 jobs, 22 work placements and a programme of training and development for 14 to19-year-olds.

The company will offer training on site through apprenticeships, traineeships and higher qualifications for staff, and aim to source 70 per cent of their subcontractors and suppliers within 30 miles of the site.

Caddick will also be supporting skills development in the supply chain through working with York College, York Apprenticeship Hub and Job Centre Plus, taking part in industry skills events and engaging with local trades and construction firms.

The homes will be well insulated, with rooftop solar panels to generate the electricity needed for the homes, including the energy-efficient air-source heat pumps.

The buildings’ structures will be made of timber to keep the construction low-carbon while there will be high-quality green spaces and tree-lined streets.

Work at the Duncombe Barracks site in York. Picture: Haydn Lewis (Image: Picture: Haydn Lewis)

Cllr Denise Craghill, executive member for housing and safer neighbourhoods, said: “Our shared passion for Passivhaus aims to tackle climate change, energy bills and fuel poverty, and to inspire other developers and builders to be equally progressive and carbon-conscious.

"The high-quality, highly energy efficient homes Caddick will build are a significant step forward for housing in York, while also adding at least 40 per cent affordable housing to the city’s stock.”

Cllr Denise Craghill

Richard Greenwood, Caddick Construction’s director of housing, said it was an 'exciting project that will help set the standard for sustainable construction in the North'.

"City of York Council is being extremely forward-thinking in its sustainable approach to the Burnholme and Duncombe Barracks schemes, and the Caddick team is ready to demonstrate it is possible to design and produce high-quality homes to a Passivhaus standard for the public sector.”