Tvyek® Is An Airtight Investment For High-Spec Eco Lodges

The Residence development of 50 high spec ‘Eco Lodges in Cornwall features DuPont™ Tyvek® breather membranes. Photo courtesy of Building with Frames, all rights reserved.

Cornwall’s beautifully rugged coastline now has a new asset in the form of The Residence: 50 high-spec ‘Eco-Lodges’ created to superior standards of sustainability, elegance and comfort. The £6 million development, built by Cornish company Building With Frames, offers these premium holiday homes for private ownership, with a managed rental income as a return on the investment for each hi-tech 3-bedroom unit.

Built to beyond code Level 4, the scheme uses SIPS framed construction (structurally insulated panel systems) together with the highest quality materials such as Thermowood timber cladding and DuPont™ Tyvek® advanced breather membranes, to achieve optimum levels of energy performance. Climate management for this contemporary, flat-roofed design is enhanced by air source heat pumps among other low-footprint systems.

A total of 5,500 square metres of DuPont™ Tyvek® Housewrap has been installed in the development, specified to achieve the high levels of airtightness, moisture control, thermal performance and interior comfort demanded by the project. Stephen Boyd, Managing Director of Truro based Building With Frames chose DuPont™ Tyvek® because of its reputation for enduring quality, one that matches that of his own company, the only building firm in Cornwall currently to fabricate with SIPS.

“Airtightness, and with it thermal performance, is a vital element in this project. Not only does it need to meet the requirements of the Building regulations, our brief, which is also our company’s standard, was to reduce air leakage to a minimum. On this project we aim to have air permeability which is no higher than 1m3/m2/hr through the frame, and using DuPont™ Tyvek® allows us to consistently reach these targets throughout the whole site,” explains Stephen Boyd.

Stephen adds that “it is also important for the structures to withstand the worst of the Cornish winter weather and to be protected against harmful condensation, therefore a membrane with a good water column and vapour permeability was essential. DuPont™ Tyvek® provides all the essential performance parameters we need in one layer: performance, protection, sustainability.”

DuPont™ Tyvek® is unique in the market because of its high-quality single layer construction which is naturally vapour open but also wind and water-tight. Lightweight yet robust, DuPont™ Tyvek® is easy to install to exterior walls and roofs and offers long term proven reliability and performance. DuPont™ Tyvek® has been rigorously tested and evaluated and comes with the technical support of a manufacturer renowned for its commitment to service, safety and sustainability.

The first Edo Lodges in The Residence development in Gwel an Mor, Portreath,in Cornwall are now complete and occupants will soon be able to enjoy all that the area and high specifications of the project have to offer.