Eurocell InSite speeds up social housing project

Aberdeen’s most ambitious social housing programme in more than half a century is being delivered with the help of Eurocell’s innovative InSite window system. Designed specifically for offsite construction, the system is helping to deliver 87 high-quality, energy-efficient homes at Craighill in Kincorth.

The development, part of Aberdeen City Council’s ‘Gold Standard’ housing initiative, will provide adaptable, sustainable and dementia-friendly homes that are also designed to meet the council’s target of reducing carbon emissions by at least 27%.

With rising trade costs and site congestion threatening to delay delivery, CHAP Construction, Kirkwood Timber Frame, and Pinefield Glass turned to the InSite system to give the programme greater certainty.

Fraser Taylor, operations director at CHAP Construction, said: “Using the InSite system enabled us to seal the building from day one and bring our internal trades onto site much earlier than planned. On a scheme of this scale, where daily trade costs can be in the region of £1,800 to £2,000, those savings quickly add up.”

The system allows Eurocell Logik PVC-U windows in silk grey to be factory-fitted into timber frame kits before arriving on site. Once lifted into place, the building envelope is sealed immediately, enabling internal works to start without waiting for external follow-on trades.

Pinefield Glass fabricated the Logik windows, then transferred to Kirkwood Timber Frame’s controlled facilities where they were installed into precision-engineered panels. These were then delivered to the site ready for rapid installation.

Malcolm Thomson, managing director at Kirkwood Timber Frame, said: “This project demonstrated how effective collaboration can be between the timber frame manufacturer, the window fabricator, and the main contractor. By integrating Eurocell’s InSite system into our kits at the factory stage, we were able to deliver timber panels already fitted with windows – a key innovation that streamlined installation and reduced the need for follow-on trades. That brought significant programme benefits for CHAP and the Council while minimising site disruption and improving overall efficiency.”

For Pinefield Glass, a Eurocell partner for over 14 years, the project was an opportunity to showcase the value of long-term partnerships.

Bryan Yule, managing director at Pinefield Glass commented: “Working with Eurocell and using the InSite system, we were able to provide pre-fitted window modules that performed exactly as required on site, giving the contractor and client complete peace of mind. Consistency and quality are at the heart of what we do, and this project really underlined that.”

With U-values as low as 1.2 W/m²K, or down to 0.93 W/m²K when specified with triple glazing, Eurocell’s Logik system played an integral role in meeting the Council’s sustainability and performance ambitions. Each frame contains around 40% recycled PVC-U, sourced through Eurocell’s closed-loop recycling system, which processes old frames into new ones.