Revolutionary board linings chosen for ECO house

An experimental ECO house, designed for 2008 Ideal Home Show, has been lined with British Gypsum's new Glasroc Rigidur H sustainable lining board made from recycled paper, newsprint and cardboard.

British Gypsum's revolutionary new Glasroc Rigidur H board is manufactured by a unique process that converts the reclaimed paper fibre, at very high density, into a robust and hardwearing board that offers high levels of thermal, fire and acoustic performance, coupled with a unique super-smooth surface for decoration.

The new board, developed initially for the offsite market, was chosen for its environmental benefits and recyclability, and because of its high racking strength and 6-metre board length, which made it ideal for the large wall and ceiling panels which were prefabricated offsite and then transported and erected at the Earl's Court site.

Offsite manufacturing techniques were essential to the construction of the large single storey ECO house, as tight schedules limited the basic build time to just 4 days.

The panels, which ranged from 2.2 metres long for external wall panels up to 5.9 metres long for the single span ceiling panels, were constructed at Taylor Wimpey's Leighton Buzzard centre, before being transported and fitted into the building's metal frame on site.

The high racking strength and robustness of the Glasroc Rigidur lining boards helped the insulated timber-framed panels to withstand the considerable stresses encountered during transportation and handling, and prevented surface damage due to knocks and scrapes during the hectic build period and ensuing 3-week long show.

More than 1500m2 of Glasroc Rigidur board was used in total for the project, including 12.5mm thickness for lining external walls and partitions, and 15mm thickness for the single span ceiling panels.

Due to be opened at the Show by the Eden Project's Tim Smit, the ECO house is intended to demonstrate how new homes can achieve the standards demanded under the Code for Sustainable Homes, including the magic 'zero carbon' standard, yet remain 'affordable'.

It is built on 32 steel 'stilts', making it adaptable to flood land and helping to reduce energy demands through use of ground heat and natural ventilation.

The groundbreaking sustainable design and materials of the ECO house are designed to have a life after the Show, when the house is expected to be dismantled and rebuilt at an innovation centre near Maidstone, as part of a permanent exhibition to promote sustainable housing in the Thames Gateway.

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