The provision of M&E consultancy services associated with the development of 6no. woodland treehouses linked to the wedding venue at Elmore Court, Gloucestershire.

The development comprises of 6no. new-build woodland treehouses for holiday let, each accommodating 2-4 people. The site is located at the edge of a 250 acre rewilded area, within the grounds of Elmore Court, which is a 13th century stately home, wedding and events venue. Each of the treehouses has an associated parking area with EV charger on a driveway, which they are linked to by an elevated walkway, so each house is separated from the others by established woodland. Additionally there is provision for a future seventh treehouse for communal activities

Box Twenty were appointed to investigate options for heating & hot water and we were requested to undertake embodied carbon studies relating to the heating / hot water strategies. Each treehouse has an outdoor bath, indoor shower room, and covered outdoor kitchens so providing acceptable volumes of hot water and a comfortable environment without excessive energy use or noise that would distract from the natural environment was a challenging problem. The advantages and disadvantages of various options including Air Source Heat Pumps, direct electric water cylinders, and instantaneous water heaters were presented to the client, with the final selection being water cylinders with electric immersion heaters. Internal space is minimal, and the bedrooms have woodburners as the primary heat source. Due to the intermittent and seasonal use, direct electric heating is provided to the internal spaces with infrared heater to the outdoor kitchens.

Following this, a set of tender documents were produced to a RIBA Stage 3 level of detail for a Design & Build Contract.

Box Twenty were also appointed to undertake an external lighting design and impact report in accordance with the planning conditions, due to the ecologically sensitive site.

While we do not have an ongoing Technical Adviser role during the construction stage, Box 20 assisted in resolving power distribution difficulties due to the remote location of the treehouses within the wider site.

The project is currently being constructed on site and is due to be completed in spring 2023.