NEW BUILDS How green is my new build?

THE VILLAGE GREEN

The eco-credentials of Bath’s new builds

With landfill waste, climate money on energy bills, resulting in significant meticulously designed and crafted for modern day change and the loss of savings in the long run. In our Bailbrook Lane living with large, light-filled rooms housed under green spaces high on the development in Batheaston, both properties a sedum green roof. There are many benefits to a global agenda, we are have an air-source heat pump which provides sedum roof at economic, ecological and societal all being encouraged to a clean way to heat buildings, free of all carbon levels. A green roof provides a rainwater buffer, reflect on the choices we emissions on site. reduces the ambient temperature and regulates make and how they impact on the planet. From It makes use of energy in the ambient air the indoor temperature. the car we drive to the journeys we make and to provide an energy-efficient way of heating Additionally, they create a natural habitat for from the food we eat to the packaging it comes in. buildings, meaning they are a great way to cut flora and fauna and aid biodiversity, encouraging

It makes sense one of the biggest differences energy bills for heating the home. Air source a wider spread of species in the area. Butterflies we can make is the home we buy. Here we heat pumps generate three times as much are particularly attracted to sedum. The roofs look at three local new developments to learn thermal energy (heat) as is used in electrical improve air quality as vegetation assists in filtering more about their eco-credentials and over on energy to drive the system, using far less energy out both gaseous pollutants and dust particles. page 71 talk to the architect Mark Lord, who than a traditional boiler. Furthermore, they aid in reducing the building’s discusses how the green agenda influences the carbon footprint through lowering building early stages of planning. Do you use smart technology? running costs. We offer smart technology with all our homes, BAILBROOK LANE, BATH is a with heating and hot water controllable via And what about the homes’ location? development of two individual smartphone, tablet, and remote operation over The properties are surrounded by a wildflower contemporary luxury homes being the internet. The thermostats are engineered meadow, enhancing the landscape character and developed by Ashford Homes; to learn from the user and their home, and will increasing habitat diversity. Groups of native www.ashford-homes.co.uk know when to keep them comfortable when species shrubs have been positioned to break up Questions answered by Stuart Morgan, the design and they are in and save energy while they are out. views from the top of the lane while still affording planning director of Ashford Homes wider panoramic views. Additionally, native How energy efficient are your new homes? Your homes have ‘green roofs’. Explain shrubs have been planted along the boundaries One of the main benefits of buying a new- what that means... to enhance biodiversity and provide an ecology build property is that you are likely to save At Bailbrook Lane, each home has been corridor for wildlife.

Bailbrook Lane in Beatheaston is being developed by Ashford Homes

A Georgian style home Holburne Park; inset: Acorn Property Group are the developers behind the new Cubis Bruton

“All site clearance work was carried out outside bird nesting season in order to minimise disruption for wildlife”

Do you use locally sourced materials? We ensure that materials on all our developments are sourced within the local area, wherever possible. Bath Stone is used throughout our developments in the area, along with sustainably sourced wood.

What happens to building waste? One of Ashford Homes key performance indicators is to have at least 80 per cent of mixed waste removed from site to be recycled. We employ a local waste management contractor to collect waste from all our sites who pride themselves on diverting almost all of it from landfill and strive to find new and alternative means of recycling, reusing and reducing site waste. Much of the waste they collect is now sent to ‘waste to energy’ facilities across the South West.

HOLBURNE PARK is a large new Bath development of Georgian-style terraced houses, villas and apartments with landscaped estate approach, located in a parkland and is being marketed through Savills; www.savills.co.uk Questions answered by Ed Gunnery, director of the Holburne Park’s developers, Hardrock Developments Tell us about the energy efficiency of Holburne Park The houses at Holburne Park have a highly efficient building fabric to minimise energy losses. There is provision for future installation of electronic vehicle charging (EVC) points to align with government requirements in relation to the uptake of electronic vehicles to reduce carbon emissions. Water efficiency measures, energy efficient LED lighting, high efficiency A-rated gas fired condensing boiler and energy efficient heating controls are provided to all properties.

Efficient heating controls are as standard in the new Holburne Park homes

What about renewable energy sources? A selection of properties have a renewable energy source in the form of photovoltaic panels to generate carbon-free electricity for consumption or export. Photovoltaic technology on future phases are provided as part of local authority sustainability criteria, with the proposed technology at Holburne Park providing a reduction in carbon emissions over and above the local policy requirements. Fibre optic cabling for ultrafast broadband connectivity is provided to all properties for smart technology connections.

A new Bath home built by Greenheart Sustainable Construction

“It is important that a fine balance between an aesthetic and a green agenda is struck”

Are there green spaces at the development? The houses at Holburne Park all have private gardens with grassed area. Holburne Park itself sits within a landscaped parkland setting, which comprises over a third of the 17-acre development. The landscaped park at Holburne Park wraps around the northern and eastern edge of the development and slopes down to the tree-lined banks of the Kennet and Avon Canal. It uniquely borders the edge of greenbelt, linking to the beautiful rural valleys of Bathampton, as well as being an easy walk to the centre of Bath. The slopes of the park enjoy fantastic and far-reaching views over the picturesque Georgian city and along the nearby wildlife corridor of the canal.

What about the plantlife and fauna? In the design of the park we have created a mix of areas with open sun, dappled light and deep shade, to echo the classic Georgian parkland design. We have used native trees and plants to reinforce the existing native planting and to enhance the natural character of the landscape. We have introduced a network of

IN THE PLANNING Architect Mark Lord on how aesthetics and the green agenda co-habit

With environmental sustainability and climate change being a priority for all involved in the design and construction industry, government and councils are enforcing change through local and national policy, setting targets and implementing strategies to reduce CO2 over the next decade. In Bath, B&NES have set a CO2 reduction target of 45 per cent by 2029.

Designing new-build schemes in a UNESCO World Heritage city brings with it a number of opportunities and constraints, many of which influence the design; from materiality and scale to form and function.

One of our latest schemes is a micro home, situated to the west of the city on a plot segregated from the south-west garden of an existing fivebedroom family home. The initial client brief included the requirement for a sustainable and cost-effective approach to construction, utilising where possible UK and locally sourced materials, manufacture and labour.

Our proposal draws material precedent from its surrounding context, utilising high quality and ethically sourced materials. The concept is a juxtaposed pair of pods – one for living, the other for sleeping, the two connected by a central glazed atrium with a south-westerly aspect and an internal courtyard.

A series of carefully crafted courtyards with low planter walls and a mixture of mature and semi mature evergreens and perennials, complement the design and help it to comfortably blend with its surroundings. A wildflower garden is proposed as one of four pocket gardens and is intended to increase biodiversity, whilst the boundary between the host plot and the proposed consists of fifty two-metre high evergreen English Yew.

In the design of new-build homes be they one-off schemes like the our ‘Pod House’ or multi home residential masterplans, it is important that a fine balance between an aesthetic and a green agenda is struck, the two are not always thought to co-exist but we are excited to see how industry changes and architect’s ingenuity meet in the years to come. For more: www.lordarchitecture.co.uk meandering paths and strategically located seats to enjoy the views. We have provided natural play equipment for children and a trim trail for more active users. In addition to the trees and planting we have designed for the animals that use this wildlife corridor, we’ve incorporated bat boxes and swift hotels.

CUBIS BRUTON, BRUTON, a contemporary development providing 56 houses being developed by Acorn Property Group; www.acornpropertygroup.org Questions answered by Robin Squire, Acorn’s regional managing director Tell us about the early planning stages in relation to the eco-impact of Cubis Bruton? A full environmental impact assessment was carried out at the planning stage, along with a number of ecological surveys. The results of these surveys were then accommodated into the development plan and build timetable, as they revealed a number of protected trees and animal habitats. Bat and bird boxes were installed to surrounding trees and full ecologist surveys were undertaken prior to hedge removal. All site clearance work was carried out outside bird nesting season in order to minimise disruption for wildlife on the site.

What about the construction of the homes? The houses are of timber frame construction, using sustainable resourced local timber, the precise construction of which also creates a more energy efficient building. Enhanced insulation has also been added to the walls, floors and roofs – with Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery (MVHR) systems and triple glazed high efficiency windows throughout.

All timber cladding, render and stone has been locally sourced, with surface (grey) water for the site managed using an attenuation pond. Planting for the site has also been planned to blend with the existing landscape.

Some homes have green roofs too? Yes, these allow for a range of planting options and provide important microclimates for birdlife and other species, whilst also improving air quality due to the filtering mechanism of the plants and substrate.

And inside the houses? Boilers used are energy efficient and run on gas, which supply both hot water and heat for the ‘wet’ under-floor heating. The homes also benefit from smart meters, which allow owners to digitally monitor their gas and electricity consumption, and LED lighting is used throughout to offer superior, more efficient and cleaner lighting. With infrastructure for electric car charging points provided as standard, these forwardlooking houses are ‘future proofed’ as fully as possible to allow for further developments in specification and technology.

The homes at Cubis Bruton benefit from smart meters

NORTH ROAD IN BATH, a new home built by Greenheart,specialists in sustainable design and build; www.greenheartuk.com Questions answered by Greenheart Sustainable Construction’s project manager and director, Alastair Scott How would you describe your approach to sustainable construction? We focus on a fabric first approach whereby insulation, air-tightness and limited solar gain and excessive window area, is considered as the primary driver in the design, resulting in a superbly comfortable home that is very easy to live in with very little need for energy input.

Tell us about the materials used for the North Road build Recycled plastics where plastic is necessary, otherwise recycled or solid timber products from sustainable sources as the primary building structure. And where possible, the cladding materials are UK sourced timber and local stone.

How do you recycle site waste? Efficient ordering and cutting of timbers keeps waste down. Majority of waste is product packaging and small offcuts. 98 per cent of waste taken off site is recycled. n

The importance of Christmas and home this unique year

Peter Greatorex from THE APARTMENT COMPANY is feeling festive…

Idon’t want a lot for Christmas/ There is just one thing I need/ I don’t care about the presents/ Underneath the Christmas tree... These words resonate more than ever this year. As Christmas is fast approaching, we are all dreaming of spending some special time with the ones we love. With the government’s Christmas bubble plan now announced, many of us are working out the logistics of what Christmas this year will look like. But one thing we know for sure is that our homes will be the centrepiece of our festivities.

At The Apartment Company, every day we are welcomed into people’s homes. We see apartments of all shapes and sizes, those that are steeped in history and the ones that still have that scent of fresh paint. Yet regardless of the owners, and the reason they have or are purchasing their abode, what they all agree on is that this apartment feels like home. But what does home really mean?

Home encompasses so many things, but above all it is a place that makes us feel secure – and how we have needed that feeling of safety this year. Homes are places filled with laughter; their walls may see many tears, but at the heart of it all is love. As you wander along the streets of Bath and look around, you may gaze at the houses and apartments that surround you, and that could be all that you see. But when you work in property you see more than bricks and mortar, you see homes filled with stories and memories, places that are cherished and adored.

You can see how precious our homes have become. Like a member of our family, we take care of them and can’t imagine our lives without them. What has become absolutely apparent this year, as we see the abundance of lights sparkling in the night sky, and decorated trees adding colour and beauty to many a room, is that we are needing Christmas to start earlier. A traditional Christmas built around family, one centred on what is truly important and not material things, making memories that will last for generations to come.

What would we be without our memories, and our quirky family traditions? They form who we are. Our memories and homes are wrapped together, filled with our hopes and dreams, and where would we be without dreams? So cherish every memory this year, and make some new ones too – because this Christmas, more than Christmases past and future, will be unique in so many ways. But we know what your home’s wish is: More than you could ever know/ Make its wish come true/ All it wants for Christmas is you. n

For more advice visit our blog at www.theapartmentcompany.co.uk Sales: 01225 471144 Lettings: 01225 303870