Pioneering Net Zero Home at Neighbourhood Scale

Springfield Meadows is a 25-home residential development in Southmoor, Oxfordshire designed and constructed by Greencore Construction for Ssassy Springfield Ltd. The scheme combines Passivhaus design principles with a bio-based construction system intended to reduce both operational and embodied carbon. Homes are built using Greencore’s Biond system, a prefabricated closed-panel timber frame assembly insulated with lime-hemp and natural wood-fibre insulation. Panels are manufactured off-site and assembled on site, enabling controlled construction quality, improved airtightness and reduced construction waste. The envelope strategy aims to deliver high levels of insulation and airtightness consistent with Passivhaus energy targets, including a space-heating demand of approximately 15 kWh/m²/yr. Roof-mounted photovoltaic panels enable the dwellings to generate sufficient renewable electricity to offset annual energy demand, supporting net-zero operational energy performance. The development integrates shared landscape infrastructure including a wildlife pond, orchard and community green space designed in partnership with the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust. A mix of 16 private homes and nine affordable units are arranged across a 3.2-hectare site, demonstrating how low-carbon construction methods and prefabricated timber systems can be applied at neighbourhood scale within a rural housing context.