Durisol's eco-friendly wall form system is contributing to a high sustainability rating for the latest development by 'green' housebuilder, Woodscope. The developer is aiming for a Level 6 rating under the Government's Code for Sustainable Homes for three new houses in Marlborough. Durisol interlocking wall units are being used to build external walls to form an underground car park at the Cuckoo Pen site in the St Martin's area of the historic Wiltshire town. Durisol is also assisting Woodscope in maintaining its commitment to send none of its building waste to landfill by taking back any surplus product for recycling.

Having successfully worked with Durisol on a number of projects in Germany, Woodscope had no hesitation in specifying the innovative system for the Cuckoo Pen site. Jon Weaver, Director of Woodscope, says: "A truly green construction product, Durisol also offers a durable and speedy building solution so we're delighted that it's now available in the UK." Durisol wall forming units, which are made from recycled material and can also be recycled, provide an eco-friendly means of reducing a building's overall carbon footprint, whilst also contributing to faster build times. The modular units are simply dry-stacked, with no need for mortar or bricklaying skills and are then filled with concrete to create solid walls with excellent thermal and sound insulation.

Durisol can be used for external and internal walls above ground and is equally suited to below ground level construction - as at the Cuckoo Pen development. The units will not rot or decay, are resistant to damage from vermin and wood boring insects and do not support fungal or bacterial growth. Because Durisol is being used for an underground car park at St Martin's Lane, the units have been supplied without insulation. The system is also available with Rockwool mineral fibre insulation, which offers U-values as low as 0.23 without additional insulation.

The new houses are being designed and built by Woodscope to satisfy today's increasingly stringent sustainability standards and the low energy specification is expected to achieve an annual energy consumption for each house of just 600kW. Other features include heated double and triple glazed window units for enhanced thermal efficiency, rainwater harvesting and green roofs planted with sedum. The development's architectural design combines a traditional brick-built front aspect with a more contemporary glass and timber-clad rear elevation. Summing up, Jon Weaver comments, "We're committed to using sustainable construction methods and material, like Durisol, and hope that this project will provide a benchmark for future developments in the area."

Durisol and its licensees have been producing wood fibre and reinforced concrete products for over 50 years in Europe and also in North America, Australia, Russia and the Pacific Rim. In addition to wall form products for building, the company also has a portfolio of products and systems including noise barrier walls, retaining walls, and acoustic facings.