Norbord, the UK’s leading manufacturer of wood-based panel products, has supplied its Sterling OSB wall sheathing and Caberdek particleboard flooring for use in the construction of the first affordable eco-home for the mass market.

The house, the result of a partnership between South Lanarkshire College, Dawn Homes, MGM Timber (Scotland) Ltd and more than 20 private sector partners, was commissioned to provide students at the college with a hands-on demonstration of the principles of sustainable design. As the first low-cost ‘affordable’ home built to Level 5 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, it is also a first for the Scottish housebuilding industry.

Called “Aurora” after the Roman goddess of the dawn, the house utilises a low-energy timber frame with high levels of thermal insulation to create a warm envelope. Simple heat-recovery units and a rainwater harvesting system further enhance the design’s sustainability.

The timber frame, supplied by Selkirk-based, Oregon Timber Frame Engineering, uses Norbord’s Sterling OSB as sheathing board while the company’s Caberdek tongue-and-groove flooring is used throughout.

Both Sterling OSB and Caberdek particleboard are sustainable products and ideal for this project. Sterling OSB is made from forest thinnings harvested from sustainably-managed Scottish forests and processed at Norbord’s Inverness factory. Caberdek flooring is made using up to 75% recycled post-consumer waste at Norbord’s factory in Cowie. Both factories use their process residues as a green biomass fuel to generate heat energy for the manufacturing process.

“By following the principles of the Code for Sustainable Homes and integrating them into the property from the design stages we have produced a house that is both low carbon and commercially viable” commented Martin Egan, Managing Director of Dawn Homes.

The house is designed to exceed new demanding standards for domestic buildings which will come into effect in 2013; it also exceeds the further demanding standards for domestic buildings which are due to take effect from 2016 when all new domestic housing is required to be net-zero carbon. Its energy performance in use is now being monitored by scientists at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Angus Allan, Deputy Principal at South Lanarkshire College, explains, "South Lanarkshire College is the largest trainer of apprentices in the construction industry in Scotland. We are delighted that visionary companies such as Norbord are working with us to demonstrate the most up-to-date solutions to reduce carbon emissions in domestic housing of the future as well as providing high-quality living accommodation."