The UK’s first “net zero carbon” house has been built at the Building Research Establishment’s premises in Watford for the OFFSITE2007 exhibition. The A-frame Lighthouse achieves level six of the code for sustainable homes, through features such as a PV-covered 40deg south-facing pitched roof along with a roof-mounted “wind catcher,”which provides passive cooling and ventilation. <br><br>Designed by Sheppard Robson and constructed by Kingspan Off-Site in partnership with Arup, MacFarlane Wilder and David Langdon utilising the TEK system of structural insulated panels (SIPs), it features open plan living areas on the upper levels and bedrooms below and achieves a U-value of 0.11, with heat loss reduced to around two thirds of a regular house. “The house taps into the growing consumer confidence in contemporary housing of the Grand Designs generation as a platform for sustainable living,” said architect Dan Burr.<br>