Veya + Patch Elm Lane

Rangeworthy, Gloucestershire

Patch Elm Lane marks the culmination of a long journey towards a realised ideal. The project proposals are neither the beginning nor the end of that journey, but a very important step long the way.

2 Years ago Mitchell Eley Gould were appointed by Harvey Shopfitters, to work in tandem to develop a bespoke timber panel building system, that held onto 3 key tenants:

1. Sustainability through Local Sourcing.

2. Deliver exceptional quality & flexibility through design.

3. Efficiency and Ease of Build.

Over the past 2 years we have investigated many different methods of system building, from SIPs, to CLT, to Modular walls, to simple timber frames, to find a system that could work well with all three points. The system now exists, and as such we are both eager to start the process of developing sites that can take benefit from this positive new way of development that Harvey’s, through their new development company Veya Homes, has to offer.

Patch Elm won the RIBA South West and Wessex Award 2024. The judges said;

“The project is actually a way of thinking, a body of research and the development of a system, of which the houses at Patch Elm Lane are the first fruits […]

There is an obvious respect and collaborative relationship between architects and developer. The construction methods are not new, but the ambition and determination to fine-tune the system, open up supply chains and find local product sources is inspirational. The design goes beyond energy calculations to really understand the impact of materials sourcing on the carbon profile and sustainability of the scheme. The result is an excellent measured energy use of 28 kWh per square metre per annum and cradle to grave embodied carbon emissions of 143kg of CO2 equivalent per square metre.

This is a highly successful pilot project. It will be interesting to see how it might be replicated as a model on a larger scale and with smaller homes affordable to a wider demographic. The ultimate ambition would be the mainstreaming of such solutions into the wider construction industry.”