Darlington-based DPH is a family-owned plumbing and building merchant established in 2008, with over 35 years of combined experience in the plumbing and heating industry. Following a major upscaling of its premises and the creation of the 4D Centre two years ago, it has now evolved into a full Sustainable Home Centre. The partnership brings together Daikin’s market-leading low-carbon heating technology with DPH Darlington Ltd’s long-standing local knowledge and trade expertise.
The 4D Centre is a dynamic hub for innovation and education, featuring a Daikin showroom and dedicated training facility alongside a two-storey kitchen and bathroom exhibition with an on-site bespoke joinery workshop. Purpose-built to bring homeowners, installers and industry professionals together, the Centre offers hands-on access to modern, energy-efficient solutions and live system demonstrations.
The official opening will take place on Thursday 30 April, with the ribbon-cutting at 12pm, followed by lunch, presentations and networking opportunities. Attendees who open an account and book onto training on the day will be automatically entered into a prize draw to win a Daikin air purifier.
DPH Darlington Ltd’s move into the Sustainable Home Centre model reflects a broader trend among merchants and installers towards supporting decarbonisation at a local level. The new centre will host regular installer training sessions, product demonstrations and homeowner open days, giving local tradespeople the opportunity to gain certified upskilling and allowing consumers to see installations and interfaces in context. The two-floor showroom and bespoke joinery workshop enable complete-system thinking, from equipment and controls to the finished aesthetic of kitchens and bathrooms, so customers can visualise how low-carbon systems integrate into modern homes.
Karen Perry, head of Sustainability Home Centres at Daikin commented: “The Sustainable Home Centre reflects our shared ambition to make low-carbon heating solutions accessible and practical for everyday homes and businesses. By utilising our showroom and training facility within the 4D Centre, we can provide installers and homeowners with direct access to the products, technical guidance and skills needed to accelerate the transition to heat pumps and other energy-efficient technologies.”
Dave Cooper, owner of DPH Darlington Ltd added: “The Darlington area has been much slower than the rest of the country to adopt renewable technology. This is partly due to a lack of education for homeowners, as well as limited training opportunities for new installers, who often have to travel to other cities. The 4D Centre is a place where both homeowners and installers can come to see, learn about, and experience these products first-hand. Our aim is to make renewable technology more accessible, build confidence in the market, and support the growth of skills locally so the region can move forward with the rest of the UK.”