Dovehouse Court, High Street

Dovehouse Court provides 15 single storey apartments and the administration office for GTC on the High Street.  It is believed to be one of the first almshouse schemes in the UK built to fully-accredited Passivhaus standards, resulting in low energy costs and improved indoor air quality, all made possible by installing energy-efficient windows and doors, with stricter levels of airtightness, mechanical ventilation and heat recovery as well as high levels of building insulation.
 
Designed to meet the future needs of the elderly, it allows for extended independent living including easy wheelchair access. Internal layout of the homes includes a master bedroom and small second room, open plan living/kitchen/dining area with access to balconies or individual terraces on the ground floor and communal landscaped gardens, an orchard and allotments. Mobility scooter parking and car parking places for most homes are provided, in addition to two parking spaces for the GTC office.

The timber frame panels are made from Spruce soft wood sourced from Scandinavia and manufactured in Welshpool by Lowfield Timber which specialises in Passivhaus buildings. The frames were delivered to site on lorries, for erection by crane, and once completed, an air test was carried out to calculate the building’s air permeability.
 
Funded by GTC and a grant from Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA), the Dovehouse Court almshouses and gardens were formally opened on 29th April 2023. These apartments are available to those living in, or with a close connection to Girton.  Vacancies are advertised locally for which residents can apply and be interviewed, with decisions made after careful consideration on the basis of a wide range of criteria.