LIVING THE CITU LIFE

LIVING THE R

CITU LIFE

the MVHR systems maintain a flow of fresh air, delivering a healthy indoor air quality. Residents will also benefit from a digitally enabled home, controlled via Google Nest, allowing them to monitor their energy and water usage.

The Climate Innovation District is delivered through an integrated business model, with design, manufacture, build and fit-out all in house by Citu. This structure allows the project to maximise efficiencies in the build process and quickly capture product innovations that improve the building performance. All the timber used is FSC-certified and the timber frame panel system delivers ultra- efficient, zero-emission houses and apartments.

The Climate Innovation District is a development located in Leeds city centre that is demonstrating there is a different and better way to live within in our cities and has timber as a central element to its success.

As seen in previous issues, the Climate Innovation District spans both the north and south bank of the River Aire and once complete will consist of 950 homes, workspaces, retail and a multigeneration building which includes a care home and primary school. All assembled from a timber frame panel system ‘version 2.0’ produced in Citu’s own offsite technology driven manufacturing facility.

In the first (now complete) phase of the district on the north bank of the river there is already a growing community with all of Citu’s first properties now occupied – these houses were the first to be built in Leeds city centre in 100 years. The south bank has developed too now with 22 houses, ‘The Place’ (home to Citu and Yorkshire Housing) in the heart of the district as well as its timber-frame facility.

The Citu Home has been designed using Passivhaus tools and is designed to be hyper-efficient and runs on

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electric heating from 100% renewable sources. The building performance through its airtightness, insulation and use of PV panels on the roof ensure the heat and energy demand are minimised for end-users. The units benefit from a range of green qualities, incorporating the latest in sustainable technology, with passive cooling, light wells and mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR) systems. With over 90% of heat transferred, heating requirements are up to ten times lower than an average UK home. The units will also benefit from ten times the airtightness required by standard UK building regulations, which keeps heat in the house, whilst Using wood fibre insulation, Citu also save costs against conventual mineral insulations which require more processing. All these factors combine to create low energy sustainable homes that are targeted at Passivhaus standards in U- values and airtightness whilst at an affordable budget, both minimising environmental impact and ensuring the timber frame panel achieves an incredible level of insulation. Citu’s flagship tenet is to be ‘a purpose-led business that exists to tackle climate change’, with an overarching approach to the development of better places to live, work and play, fuelled by a focus on the future.

www.citu.co.uk

IMAGES:

01. Citu’s timber approach is giving Leeds city centre a long-term sustainable recharge. Courtesy Citu

Car and Care-Free

The Climate Innovation District has been designed and delivered to be bold and disruptive in tackling the climate crisis. These two factors drive all elements of the design, build and use of the project. The Climate Innovation District already has Leeds first zero carbon office and will be delivering England’s first zero-car school.

The Climate Innovation District will take a total of 800 cars off the road. The removal of reliance on private combustion engine vehicles is essential to tackling the climate crisis and by building homes in close proximity to the city centre, the project is in walking and cycling distance for all aspects of life including work, leisure, and education.

Citu was recently given planning permission by Leeds councillors for a new ‘multi-generational’ complex, featuring a care home, primary school and residential flats near Leeds Dock. It will feature a 72-bed care home and a block of 80 apartments as well as a nursery, cafe and school. The development will be car-free, barring a handful of disabled parking spaces and eight visitor spaces for the care home. It means staff and parents taking their children to school will be discouraged from driving to the site.