Belchamp Community House Retrofit Case Study

At the heart of the community

Belchamp Community House is a listed community centre at the heart of Belchamp St Paul. Owned and managed by a dedicated group of trustees, the building provides an important meeting place for the village and hosts a wide variety of activities, events and community groups throughout the year.

Improving its energy efficiency required a sensitive and carefully planned approach. The character of the historic building needed to be protected, while the community centre also had to remain operational throughout the work. This meant finding an insulation solution that could be delivered in manageable phases with minimal disruption to the people who rely on the building.

Reducing heat loss while keeping the doors open

Rising energy costs and ongoing heat loss were making Belchamp Community House increasingly difficult and expensive to keep warm. As a well-used community building, improving its thermal performance was important both for the comfort of its users and its long-term future.

The work also needed to respect the character of the listed building and, crucially, the centre had to remain operational throughout the project. The team therefore needed an approach that could improve the walls and floors while allowing the installation to progress in carefully managed phases, minimising disruption to the community.

A fabric-first approach, delivered in phases

The project team adopted a fabric-first approach, using internal wall insulation and underfloor insulation to improve the building’s thermal envelope and help reduce heat loss through two key areas of its construction.

Rather than treating the community centre as a straightforward modern property, the installation was planned around the existing building and its continued use. Work was divided into manageable phases, allowing individual areas to be completed while limiting disruption to the centre’s activities.

SWIP worked alongside CT Eco Plus and Faith Eco Solutions, providing the insulation system and technical support required to help the delivery team address details as the project progressed.

Improved from 2.20 to 0.30 W/m²K.

Improved from 0.70 to 0.15 W/m²K.

Estimated reduction in annual space-heating heat loss.

Confirmed through the final technical inspection.

Performance verified after installation

Post-completion FLIR thermal imaging found that the thermal bridging and heat-loss variations identified during the pre-installation surveys had been eliminated. Each thermal image below is shown with its corresponding visible-light view.

“Working with SWIP and CT Eco Plus has been a seamless and rewarding experience. Their expertise and support have been invaluable in helping us future-proof our beloved community house.”