Orbit Homes unveils new house designs at Kettering's Hanwood Park development

Orbit Homes has unveiled a new range of house designs at its Hanwood Park development in Kettering, all of which have been matched against the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accident’s (RoSPA) Safer by Design framework.

The new designs are the result of a complete review of the organisation’s approach to building new homes and include the introduction of new safety standards and Orbit Homes’ inclusive design specification.

Using customer research and drawing upon a number of best practice initiatives and regulations – such as Building Regulations Part M42 and Part M43, the National Space Standards and London Housing Design Guide – the new house range focusses heavily on maximising light and space, reducing retrofit requirements and providing flexible age-neutral space that can adapt to meet the changing needs of residents.

Orbit Homes is also the first social housing developer to have its house designs successfully matched against the RoSPA Safer by Design framework and has committed to all new Orbit Homes being built to the Safer by Design Gold Standard.

Adam Gaggini, divisional head of technical for Orbit Homes, said: “Ensuring that the Safer by Design Framework is interwoven in our new house designs, not only means that our homes are among the safest on the market, but also helps ensure that we are meeting the current and future needs of our residents, supporting independence for longer in later life.

“Using our customer research and drawing upon a number of best practice initiatives and regulations, we’ve created a new house design range which we truly believe will stand out in the sector and demonstrate to others that by putting customers at the heart of the design process, we really can build for the future and benefit commercially too.

“Throughout our new range, we have focused heavily on maximising light and space.

"We’ve raised ceiling heights and considered window sizes and placement, along with the aspect of properties; increased noise insulation and thermal values and incorporated clever design features which improve room usage and future-proof the homes, so residents can make changes as their situations require.”

And Adam added: “Everyone is having to make their money stretch further at the moment.

"We’re really proud that our specification offers customers so many essential finishes included as standard, which hopefully leaves people with a bit of extra budget to help them to make their house a home.

"Combined with the savings on energy bills that come with purchasing an energy efficient new build home, we’re confident that Orbit Homes offers fantastic value for money for customers.”

According to the ‘Watt a Save’ report from the Home Builders Federation, on average, buyers of new homes save over £2,000 on household bills per household each year, equivalent to £173 a month.

Almost all (89 per cent) of the 1,000 respondents surveyed in Orbit Homes’ own research in October 2022 said that they saw energy efficiency as an important factor in their purchase of a new home.

All new Orbit Homes currently deliver an EPC rating of at least B with around 15 per cent rated EPC A.

All homes are fitted with renewable technology including water saving technology and from 2023 most will have solar panels to generate electric.

From 2025, Orbit Homes will offer renewable heating and underfloor heating as standard.

Many new sites will see a carbon net zero standard over the next few years.

Helen Moore, group director for Orbit Homes, added: “Since joining Orbit Homes, I have worked with the team to deliver our vision of creating a range of aspirational, yet affordable new homes, regardless of tenure.

"They have been thoughtfully designed with and for our customers, to provide the flexibility to adapt as our customers’ lifestyles change and with safety, energy efficiency and durability built in as standard.

"Our new design standards ensure a consistently high quality of design across all of our developments, which is the foundation we need to help build thriving communities, and I am therefore thrilled to see that vision coming to life.”