A building reviving through time
What is now called The Foundry was originally a 1840s threshing barn, transformed into a traction engine maintenance shed in the 1880s, and then into a forge and foundry between 1920 and 1950. Abandoned for 50 years, Green Light Trust decided to breathe new life into it and to make The Foundry their headquarters as well as a shining example of sustainable building in East Anglia.
The project started on the 27th May 2005, and it took us just over a year to complete a self-sufficient and carbon-neutral building.
A "deep green agenda"
Protecting our local environment was our primary focus when building The Foundry. The building needed to sit lightly on the earth, require as little resource as possible, generate no waste and leave no traces when it will need removing at the end of its life.
In order to produce very little carbon, over 80% of the original timber frame and brick plinth were recycled into the new building, with the remaining being issued from local demolition sites. Because it is much more energy-efficient to process and manufacture than concrete, and also a natural fire retardant, lime was chosen for walls and floor slabs. Suffolk-grown hemp was used for insulation, as it absorbs CO2 when growing and allows buildings to breathe naturally. This means no need for plastic or foil membranes, further reducing the environmental impact of the building and ensuring excellent internal air quality, soundproofing and thermal performance.
We also wanted the building to produce no waste and achieve self-sufficiency once lived in. Heating, lighting and power generation are all from renewable sources. Our 22 acre woodland on site provides us with wood for heating. With its growing cycle of 12 to 15 years, carbon emitted by the boiler will have been reabsorbed from the atmosphere. Hot water is heated using solar panels, and our 15 m tall 6kW wind turbine produces over 6,000 kWh, so what we are not using for our lighting and appliances is fed back into the national grid. The only water we buy is for drinking and washing up, and rain water is collected for cleaning boots and flushing toilets. Used water is recycled through the reed bed system, where plants oxygenate the water to clean it and solid waste is being composted and spread on the woodland as fertiliser.
A community-led green project
Creating strong connections between people and nature is at the heart of what we do, and building The Foundry has provided the wonderful opportunity to train people in sustainable woodland management and to reinforce cohesion between people.
Most of the work was undertaken by volunteers, with villagers, local building companies and a local architect donating over 2,500 hours of their time. Building The Foundry also allowed us to launch our rehabilitation programme for disaffected youth and young offenders, who were given the chance to be part of a community, to build something worthy and to re-connect with nature.
An award building project
At Green Light Trust, we are proud to say we've built a master example of sustainable building. Apart from a little bottled water, nothing is brought to the site, nothing leaves it, and we are totally autonomous in terms of energy. The design, building materials and servicing methods have all been chosen to have as little impact as possible on the environment, and we have succeeded in it: The Foundry is a very high energy-efficient, carbon-neutral building, heading towards becoming a carbon-negative building, and that's why we have won the RIBA East Sustainability Award in 2006.
If you're interested in hiring The Foundry for your private or corporate events, please check the Hire The Foundry section of the website. You can also enjoy a virtual tour of The Foundry.