The Code, launched in April 2007, has been developed by Communities and Local Government (CLG) based on BRE's EcoHomes method to enable a step change in sustainable building practice for new homes. It provides a means of assessing the sustainablity credentials of new homes for energy, water, materials, waste, pollution and other issues. Jaya Skandamoorthy, Director of BRE Enterprise & Innovation, said: “We are delighted that our industry partners are taking the lead responding to the Government challenge for low carbon and sustainable homes and building their demonstration houses on our Innovation Park for OFFSITE 2007.”

Companies such as Kingspan and Stewart Milne are ambitiously aiming to demonstrate how they would conform to the two top levels of the Code, Level 6 and Level 5 respectively. This means that both houses will have to be as near to ‘zero carbon' as possible. Kingspan’s ‘LightHouse' will have impressive levels of efficiency in terms of construction methods, energy use, CO₂ emissions and carbon footprint and is being designed in line with Lifetime Homes and Scheme Development Standards (SDS). The Stewart Milne Group is aiming to show that sustainability is commercially viable in mass produced housing. Leading-edge in design and highly energy efficient, their house demonstrates renewable energy technologies, use of superior insulation and a super fast building process.

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