Purslows Wins Energy Efficiency Award for Orchard Lodge

We are delighted to announce that our recent work on the Orchard Lodge project at Thornage Hall in North Norfolk has been recognised with the Energy Efficiency Award - New Build.

The award, which was presented during a ceremony held on Thursday 21st May 2026, recognises an outstanding new-build or extensively renovated property that maximises the benefits of the energy-efficiency measures installed. Orchard Lodge was entered in collaboration with the solar panel installers Lumisol and the electrical contractor Orange Fox and principal contractor Grocott & Murfitt, whose expertise and contribution were integral to the successful delivery of the project.

Orchard Lodge was commissioned by Thornage Hall to provide a welcoming and accessible home for residents who are becoming older or require additional support with their mobility. From the beginning, the project was about much more than constructing a practical building. The aim was to create somewhere that felt comfortable, familiar and genuinely homely, while also meeting the day-to-day needs of its residents.

The finished building includes shared kitchen, dining and living areas, giving residents spaces in which they can cook, eat and spend time together. It also provides five en-suite bedrooms for residents and an additional en-suite bedroom for staff. Accessibility was central to the design, with generous circulation spaces and carefully considered facilities helping residents to move around the building safely and comfortably.

Alongside these practical and personal considerations, energy efficiency formed an important part of the project. The building was designed in line with Passivhaus principles and achieves an ‘A’ EPC rating. To achieve this level of performance the structure uses a highly insulated and airtight timber frame system. This minimises heat loss while allowing the building to maintain a stable internal temperature during both the summer and winter.

The heating and ventilation are primarily provided through a Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery (MVHR) system. Warm air is extracted from inside the building and the heat from that air is then used to warm the fresh air coming in from outside. As well as helping to reduce energy use, the MVHR system also keeps air moving through the building. During warmer weather this helps prevent internal spaces from becoming too hot, which is particularly important in residential accommodation of this type.

In addition the building was provided with a 42kW solar array on the roof of the building. This means Orchard Lodge is able to operate largely off-grid. The electricity generated by the panels is more than the building technically requires, and any excess energy is used by other buildings on the Thornage Hall site or exported back to the network.

All of the measures incorporated into Orchard Lodge were carefully selected in order to support the long-term performance of the building. The aim was to create a comfortable internal environment for the people who live and work there.

Receiving this award is a welcome recognition of the care taken to ensure that energy performance was treated as an integral part of the project, rather than as an afterthought.

Purslows managed the project throughout the construction phase, coordinating the contractor and wider design team on behalf of the client. We also acted as Principal Designer under both the Building Regulations and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations. This involved helping to ensure that regulatory, design and health and safety responsibilities were properly managed throughout the delivery of the building.

Projects of this nature depend upon close collaboration. We are therefore especially pleased to have received the award alongside Lumisol, Orange Fox and Grocott & Murfitt. It reflects the contribution made by the entire project team and the shared commitment to delivering a building that performs well while remaining centred around the people who use it.

For Purslows, the award also reinforces the value of combining careful design, effective project management and specialist collaboration when delivering sustainable new buildings.

Most importantly, Orchard Lodge now provides a supportive and comfortable home for its residents. To see the project recognised for its energy efficiency is something of which everyone involved can be proud.

We would like to thank Thornage Hall for giving us the opportunity to contribute to this important development, and congratulate Lumisol, Orange Fox Ltd and everyone who helped to make Orchard Lodge such a successful project.