Willox Park Phase 1 affordable housing development saw the creation of 17 new assisted living homes consisting of 14 flats and 3 bungalows within a C-shaped block, formed around an amenity courtyard for West Dunbartonshire Council.

The £4.45M project was developed to RIBA Stage 3 by the Council and then developed through warrant and construction as a Design & Build contract with McTaggart Construction. Built on the site of a former care home, the project was funded via the Affordable Housing Supply Programme and the future new-build element of the Housing Capital Investment Programme.

The Council’s brief for the project was highly ambitious and sought to create a Net Zero Ready project which was future-proofed against Government policy. The project completed in February 2026 and benefits from an innovative Shared Ambient Loop Ground Source Heat Pump (borehole) heating system.

Carbon Futures was appointed as Energy Consultants by McTaggart Construction to develop the existing energy strategy from RIBA Stage 4 through to completion. This involved detailed design development of the outline energy strategy produced by the Council’s original design team, and production of the typical compliance services including production of an Energy Compliance Report, SAP Calculations, U-value Calculations and Psi-value Calculations (Thermal Bridging) and the role of Approved Certifiers of Design for Section 6 (Energy) at RIBA Stage 4. Our role concluded at completion with the provision of Energy Performance Certificates and Sustainability Labels.

The Net Zero Ready project was designed to achieve Aspect Platinum Level 1 (Direct Greenhouse Gas Emissions), Aspect Gold Level 2 (Energy for Space Heating) and Aspect Silver Level 3-8 under Section 7 (Sustainabiliy) of the Building Standards, with all plots also achieving an Energy Efficiency Rating (SAP Rating) and Environmental Impact Rate (CO₂ Rating) of Band A.

Key elements of the current energy strategy are as follows:

The package of energy efficiency measures on this project achieves a very high level of energy performance ensuring an average carbon reduction of 50%, and average Dwelling Delivered Energy Rate of 54%. The average Energy Efficiency Rating (SAP Rating) was 93A abd the average Environmental Impact Rate (CO₂ Rating) was 99A.

West Dunbartonshire Council, McTaggart Construction, Robert Potter & Partners, Clyde Design Partnership and Hawthorne Boyle.