Cartridge Close in Gosport is a sustainable housing development built within a demi-bastion which forms part of Priddy’s Hard, a former military installation with spectacular views across Portsmouth Harbour.

The development by Elite NuGEN is surrounded by the ramparts that were part of the original fortifications of Priddy’s Hard, offering 17 three- and four-bedroom houses.

With sustainability designed into every aspect of the project, each property is uniquely designed to make construction and occupation as sustainable as possible. With help from Wienerberger’s Olde Heritage Antique bricks, Elite also worked closely with the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust to ensure that the design of the houses was representative of the former uses of the site, which once housed an ammunition manufacturing facility.

This sensitive and carefully considered development has taken more than two years, allowing the project team to develop more sustainable methods of construction throughout the build schedule.

Homes are built in rows, with single slabs laid in one process to minimise transport of the concrete. Once the slab and damp-proof course has been installed, the rest of the structure is based primarily on a timber system which is constructed in Elite’s offsite manufacturing factory, minimising transport and manual working on the site location.

Each low carbon, smart home generates its own electricity through solar panels, which helps to minimise the running costs by 75% when compared with a normal house.

Elite was chosen to redevelop the site at Priddy’s Hard because of its unique approach to sustainability throughout design, manufacturing, resources, and its own workforce.

The plan for Priddy’s Hard retains the unique identity of each area of the site and was delivered in small enclaves over an ongoing period, with Elite making use of long-standing relationships with suppliers to support successful project delivery.

Elite NuGEN’s directors have been involved in delivering low energy, environmentally friendly and sustainable housing for more than 15 years. They pride themselves on choosing only manufacturers and products which are sustainability procured, produced, and delivered, taking into account all aspects of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG).

This includes Wienerberger, with Olde Heritage Antique bricks selected because they were in keeping with the look and feel of the site. This was critical to the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust and a key part of the reason Elite was selected on this project. 

Charlie Craddock, Business Development at Elite commented:

 “The sheer range of products Wienerberger offers was hugely beneficial when it came to matching the existing buildings onsite. The Elite team, bricklayers and I are very impressed with the consistency of the finish and quality of the products.”

In addition to offsite manufacturing and smart home specification, the walls and floors at Cartridge Close are timber framed, delivered ready to be installed including insulation, first fix electrical and plumbing. This means cranes can lift them into position and site teams can complete second fix almost immediately, ensuring properties are watertight quicker than a conventional build. It also reduces crane usage as the installation is done row by row, rather than by house.

The roofs are constructed in a similar way - built at ground level on the working front to minimise working at height, before being craned into position, including any Velux for natural light, solar panels and insulation.

Solar panels were a natural choice to maximise ‘free’ energy generation on site, particularly as Gosport is officially one of Britain’s sunniest locations and the development is only a stone’s throw from the coast, with views across the mouth of Portsmouth Harbour. Properties include an electrical heating system, which uses convector panels on the ceiling to heat the rooms and maximise energy consumption including use of smart lights. The design also considers the position and orientation of the houses to maximise the daylight available to the solar panels.

In addition, offsite construction minimises waste on site, with just one skip used per property for the entire duration of the construction.

This project demonstrates how Wienerberger’s own sustainability commitment can support developers to achieve their ESG goals and deliver more sustainable projects.

Wienerberger has not just supplied Olde Heritage Antique bricks which enable the Cartridge Close development to match its historic surroundings, it has also worked closely Elite NuGEN to develop a collaborative partnership that supports overall project sustainability. This project is part of our collaborative working with Travis Perkins where we were selected to collaborate with a number of our respective suppliers to challenge around the sustainability benefits of our products.

This is the first of it’s kind ESG video, watch it here.

Within Wienerberger, by ‘building beyond’ what we know to be possible today, the business is thinking how it creates value for its customers, its people, and its communities. As well as providing products and services that respond to the global challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and resource scarcity in the built environment, Wienerberger has set a target to achieve its ambition of becoming a net-zero emission, nature-positive business. View the Let’s Build Beyond Sustainability Strategy.

This commitment to sustainability was critical in supporting the overall goals of the Cartridge Close development.