Ecocel supplying English developer Bell Blue

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Founded in 2015 by Matthew Houghton, Bell Blue is a small developer working in County Durham. The company is focused on small-to-medium sized, high-quality schemes of up to ten family homes.

Bell Blue conducts all of its architecture and engineering in-house, with a focus on high spec family homes with integrated home working spaces. “We hope that by being a little bit smaller we can deliver something a little bit better, but still be affordable,” Tim Edwards of Bell Blue told Passive House Plus.

“We’re also aiming to be as green as possible,” he said. “And we’re looking to use as many renewable materials as possible. That’s why we use timber frame, and cellulose insulation. We try to do anything we can to reduce our carbon footprint, that’s our build ethos.”

The company recently found itself looking for a new cellulose supplier that was closer to the UK, and discovered Irish manufacturer Ecocel. “I spoke to John Egan [of Ecocel] and he was so helpful and accommodating, we didn’t have to worry about any of the details related to importation [a more complicated matter post-Brexit]. He’s taken that all out of our hands.”

Bell Blue has specified cellulose insulation previously but is now on site with its first project using Ecocel. “We really like it for the fact it’s green,” Edwards said. Ecocel manufactures its cellulose insulation in Cork City from recycled newspaper collected in Ireland. The product has its own environmental product declaration (EPD) and was also recently specified on a 52-unit social housing project at Beechwood, Clonakilty, Co Cork