Supporting historical and environmental preservation with energy efficient solutions

Project Overview

Sustainability, integration and being in keeping with local and archaeological heritage is the primary theme of Vineries Farmstead – a select housing development of four and five-bed homes unveiled by Brigantia Homes in the summer of 2021.

Situated close to the centre of the popular market town of Boroughbridge (North Yorkshire), the site of the development is famed for having unearthed artifacts from the Roman era and Iron Age, its old glasshouses having also been used to cultivate vines during the mid-20th Century.

Owing to this diverse history, Brigantia Homes has adopted a keen sense of preservation with the development in a bid to maintain its stories.

The design is centred around the recreation of an old farmstead setting, including brick and oak clad barns, oak framed outbuildings, and an old farmhouse, where the use of natural materials such as clay, oak and slate have taken precedence.

Energy efficiency has also been placed top of the agenda, ensuring that the development will have a minimal environmental impact for years to come. This is demonstrable by the implementation of electric vehicle charging points within each of its five family homes that range between £600,000 and £700,000 in sale price.

The solutions

In support of the site’s low carbon integrity, Viessmann’s high efficiency Vitodens gas-fired boilers are being installed in each of the properties.

Vitodens boilers are renowned for their compactness, energy efficiency and economical operation and have a reputation for exceptional quality and reliability.

The wall-hung units deployed at Vineries Farmstead – the Vitodens 200-W – measure just 450 millimetres wide and benefit from quiet operation thanks to a low fan speed. They convert up to 98% of the fuel used into heat.

A Vitotronic control unit with 7-inch colour touchscreen ensures ease of operation alongside and integrated WiFi interface for internet connection. Energy efficiency class is A, the units also featuring a new high efficiency MatriX-Plus burner and a modulation range of 1:17.

Rob Tattersdale of Brookes Mechanical Ltd, the contractor installing the Vitodens boilers at the Vineries Farmstead, is a long-time user of Viessmann’s products.

“I’ve been fitting Viessmann new boilers, and also some solar thermal, for the past eight years after feeling the need to move on from another manufacturer. Although we fit everything, from the Vitodens 050-W to 222-F boilers, we mainly fit the 200 range, together with weather compensation controls.

“We support developers with handover packs so that when residents move in, they know how to operate the boiler and who to contact for the annual service. Brookes Mechanical specialises in contract new build properties, such as the developments built by Brigantia Homes, as well as a lot of high-end one-off refurbishments.

“We select Viessmann because of its product reliability and customer service. In the rare instance of there being a problem, it gets dealt with quickly.”

The results

As a development focused on environmental preservation and sustainability, the Vineries Farmstead is a project that will benefit greatly from the Vitodens boilers.

Not only are the units being implemented in a seamless manner, with the residents well placed to look after them thanks to their reliability, ease of operation and maintenance, but equally they will enjoy a variety of additional energy efficiency benefits from the Vitodens 200-W range that will uphold the development’s focus on ensuring harmony with its surroundings.

Paul Cryan, Brigantia Homes’ Managing Director, said: “This is the third development in which we have specified Viessmann boilers. I took the recommendation of our M&E specialist, Rob Tattersdale, and am very pleased with what are premium products. The customers speak highly of the boilers so we have continued to use them.”