HARRIS GARDENS
CONTENTS Page 1
Introduction - Group
Page 2-6
Site Analysis – Craig Robb
Page 7
Local Area Analysis – Kerri Kirkwood
Page 8-14
Design and Construction – Johanna Hesselman
Page 15-18
Materials – Kirsty Noble
Page 19-26
Interior Designs – Susan Norrie
Page 27-30
Energy Efficiency – Deborah Charleton
Page 31- 36
Landscape Proposals – Kate Hannett
Page 37-38
Biodiversity – Kerri Kirkwood
Page 39-40
Costing – Kerri Kirkwood
Page 41-42
CAD maps of the Site Today – Kerri Kirkwood and Kirsty Noble
Page 43
CAD Drawing of recovers Proposals – Kerri Kirkwood
Page 44
Sketch-up Drawing of ‘Harris Gardens’ – Kerri Kirkwood
Page 45
Conclusions – Deborah Charleton and Kirsty Noble
Page 46
Phasing – Craig Robb
Page 47
References - Individual
Introduction
“Harris Gardens, a vision for Dundee’s future�
We are creating an eco haven within an urban setting and it is our belief that Harris Gardens will be an eco island that inspires future developments to follow our sustainable ethos. Harris Gardens, with its traditional construction styles, adds a contemporary fashion by attracting high carbon consumers to embrace a low carbon existence. We hope to craft a sense of community spirit in our development, by encouraging interactions, and create a community garden that is to be shared among the residents. The buildings themselves will be of a sustainable nature, embracing an eco friendly way of life. Our ultimate aim with this project is to encourage other planning, design and building companies to follow in our footsteps and integrate sustainable technology and innovative design in future fabrications.
Institute was successful. Dundee City Council agreed to the purchase in 2007 under Sections 2.4, 2.6 and 2.8 of the Dundee Local Plan Review 2005. This is available at www.dundeecity.gov.uk/localplan . This site analysis will examine the following areas. • • • • • • • •
Vegetation Water Access Existing Structures Services Legal Aspects Legal Aspects (Non Legislative) Locality
VEGETATION The site itself is bordered (north and south) by mature plant growth of various trees and shrubs. They consist of beech, native holly naturalised Chinese maple, buddleia and hawthorn. It is proposed to retain the majority of these and incorporate them into the site management agenda so that they will be maintained. This action will not only enhance the aesthetics but also support local wildlife and form the base of building towards biodiversity within the urban landscape. This is in accordance with the Dundee Local Plan Review 2005 Policy 72.
As can be seen from this east facing view of the site many weeds and saplings have invaded since its clearing in 2001. As the site will have comprehensive redevelopment it is assumed that these will be removed or repositioned within the landscaping project.
WATER Due to the site’s elevated position and distance from underground urban waterways, it is anticipated to be registered as low flood risk. This will provide householders with an excellent reference for insurance companies and therefore standard or lower premiums.
ACCESS The site provides an excellent base for housing. Its proximity (approx 15 minutes walk) to the city centre enables householders to be distanced from many forms of urban noise pollution but allows for quick and easy access for major amenities. Blackness road itself is on a main bus route for Dundee city and provides fast connections to the city centre and bus station. It is also only 10 minutes by bus from Ninewells Hospital and could therefore be attractive to families and older residents. A bus stop is located on the south east perimeter of the site. Pedestrian access is free flowing around the site by use of well maintained pavements.
EXISTING STRUCTURES There is one existing structure within the site identified as the old school’s Janitor’s house. This is located in the north- west section. It has been agreed to retain this area as a services depot and that the house be removed and another multifunction building take its place.
SERVICES As the site was a former school, underground plumbing, sewage and electricity supply already exist. The site itself is surrounded by well established businesses and residential properties and no issues are anticipated with reconnection to these amenities.
LEGAL ASPECTS The site is wholly owned by recover International Ltd and will be administered and managed by recover UK Ltd. As a responsible construction company, recover strives to comply with all aspects of current law and seeks to exceed existing legislation requirements wherever possible. The EU Directive 2001/42/EC (Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive) demands that environmental assessment takes place where great environmental damage may occur. We do not anticipate any issues regarding this as we are operating on a brownfield site. However recover operates a strict environmental policy throughout and has a full Environmental Management System (EMS) in place across its network. Section 62 of the Dundee Local Plan Review 2005 (DLPR 2005) asks that new buildings within conservation areas be sympathetic or enhance their environment. recover realises the importance of the area not only locally but internationally. As the site borders a United Nations recognised area (Dundee Jute Mills) it has been decided to use natural cladding so that the development does not present disharmony with its surroundings. Under section 2.8 of the DLPR 2005 recovers proposal will seek to ‘enhance the range and quality of housing opportunities available’. In accordance with the DLPR 2005 Recover is dedicated to providing high quality housing with a minimum of 2 bedrooms and 65% of which to have 3 bedrooms (Appendix 1). This is to compliment the high proportion of 1 bedroom flats within the Blackness area. Section 83 of the local plan outlines the council’s commitment to encouraging renewable energy and energy efficiency. recover aims to exceed these expectations. Please refer to the relevant section of this report.
LEGAL ASPECTS (Non Legislative) recover is proud to be a member of the World Green Building Council. We truly believe that this membership gives added value to our customers and displays our commitment to greener building. As a company we have made contractual promises to lower greenhouse gas emissions from renovated properties in our care and also promote low carbon lifestyles. The following are excerpts from The World Green Building Council website (http://www.worldgbc.org/default.asp?id=9). ‘The World Green Building Council is a union of national councils whose mission is
to accelerate the transformation of the global property industry towards sustainability’ ‘globalizing environmentally and socially responsible building practices’
LOCALITY As previously stated, the site lies within an area of jute mill tenements. These are now 1 or 2 bedroom flats mostly under private ownership and displays a mainly young and single population. To the north of the site is Logie council estate which is mostly home to families and the elderly. recovers proposal is to create quality housing which appeals to as wide a spectrum of people as possible. The area is well serviced by mini markets, bars and various shops. Its proximity to the city centre also adds value to the area. Pollution does not appear to be a local problem although it would be expected that some noise pollution from Blackness road itself will be expected (this is to be countered by triple glazing).
LOCAL AREA ANALYSIS
Google Earth 2007
This area of Dundee is prominently used for housing with some retail. The type of housing varies in each street. To the West of the site is Logie and consists of semi-detached larger housing. Most of the houses here have gardens, sometime shared, which contrasts to the rest of the area as it opens the streets up. To the East of the development area is Rosefield Street. This is a whole street of terraced housing which is very linear and uniform. Each dwelling is separated into separate living accommodation with a shared front entrance from the street. They all have small shared gardens which are mainly un-kept. To the North of the site there is mostly residential use. There are many different styles of housing from different periods of time from the linear and uniform Cleghorn Street to the new housing in Logie Gardens. To the South of the site is the area of Blackness. Along Blackness road is where the main local retail outlets are located there are also small independent businesses situated here. Above the commercial use buildings are flats which have share entrances and also have small shared gardens behind. As you approach inner city Dundee more industry and retail that appears.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION Introduction Most buildings along Blackness Road are townhouses from the early 1900’s, when Dundee’s economy was still booming. Their main purpose was to provide housing and services for the increasing population. They were mainly intended for working families, usually with low income, which meant that their costs of production were kept relatively low. The standard of the houses and their sustainability was not prioritised which has led to repair work and modernisation of several buildings later on in the 20th century. Blackness Road is currently a popular area for students to live in and even though a lot has been done to improve this part of the city, there are still sections along this dominant road that are in need of regeneration. Blackness Road has a lot of potential for development as its location and the bus links going between the city centre and Ninewells Hospital and the Technology Park forms an excellent ground for residential purposes. The need for green space has for long been a target in Dundee. With increasing pollution through car usage and waste, the development of an eco-friendly and sustainable residential site is highly necessary. Thus, recover has decided to take on the development of the brown field site on Blackness Road.
Development proposal From a recover aspect, there are two important things to think about when developing a site. One is to keep it as environmentally friendly as possible, by using sustainable, and where possible, local products and design it in such a way that the new development fits into what is already there. From these two main principles of development the design of the building was thoroughly discussed and planned. When looking at the construction and design of the surrounding buildings, one can tell that the most common type of buildings are twentieth century style townhouses, usually three storeys high with stone façades. In order to design new houses with a similar design to the surrounding buildings it was derived that the best suitable and most environmentally friendly type of buildings would be three storey townhouses built with a timber frame structure and a reclaimed red sandstone façade. The new residences will be two L-shaped townhouses measuring 40×40 metres. They will be three storeys high, four with the roof, in order to create a uniform appearance of the street. Each flat will be a luxury two storey flat containing a minimum of two bedrooms. The red sandstone is a local product to Dundee and can be found on several important buildings in Dundee such as the courier building in the city centre.
Courier building and tower seen from two different angles.
Towers will be seen on three corners of each building. The purpose of having towers is partly to collect rain water, for toilets and washing machines, but they also highlight the status of the building and make it more attractive.
Different types of towers seen on buildings in Dundee.
The design of the windows will be mill inspired timber sash windows and dormer windows in similar style on the roof. There will be a generous supply of windows on the buildings to allow maximum inflow of natural light, in order to reduce electricity waste. Triple glazed windows will prevent loss of heat. The windows will be 2 metres high and 1 metre wide and the dormer windows will be 1Ă—1 metre. There will be stone features around the windows to make it blend in to the surrounding buildings even more.
Dormer window
Stone feature around windows There will be four main entrances on the outer sides of the building. Each entrance leads to a lobby of two entrances to two separate flats on the ground floor and a stairwell leading up to the second floor lobby, where two other flats will be.
Front of buildings seen from Blackness Road. Each block of houses will be mirror images of each other.
Outer corners of the buildings with the four main entrances which each lead to four luxury flats.
Natural environment To allow people living in these houses to get some piece and quiet in a natural environment, we provide some personal green space for everyone, even the ones living in the top flats. Each of the lower levelled flats will have an individual garden on the back of the house, whereas the top flats will have an individual roof terrace. Both gardens and terraces will be thoroughly decorated with plants and trees for maximum environmental sustainability.
Building seen from the inside, with doors leading to the private gardens on the ground floor and roof terraces on the top floor.
The roof terraces will take up half of the roof and will measure about 5Ă—8 metres. 40m2 of space will enable residents to enjoy a natural environment in central Dundee.
There will be a wooden floor extending from the kitchen on the inside out through the French doors to the roof terrace. The wood will be thoroughly treated in order to survive the outdoor climate. There will be a window as well as a door in to the flat on one side and a wooden railing on the other side, for safety and for potted plants which will be hanging from the railing.
An example of a roof terrace. A total of 16 roof terraces will be found in the site.
Basement The basement will form part of a block work foundation and will be dug down about 3 metres below ground. This is in order to create a steady base for the building. Parking and a communal laundry site will take place here and will only be used for residents, with some exceptions to guest parking as there is very limited street parking on Blackness Road.
Communal laundry sites and drying rooms
Entrance and exit for cars
Parking There will be underground parking offered only for the people living on the site. There will be one access point at the end of each building. Since the buildings are built on a slope, the access will go in on the lowest side through a short tunnel which will be covered in grass and then continue underneath the house. The basement, i.e. the underground parking will extend slightly underneath the house. Rather than 10 metres wide it will be 13 metres wide, something which is necessary in order to provide a sufficient number of parking spaces, but will not be shown as it is under the ground. Each parking space will measure standard measurement of 2.4Ă—4.8 metres. The number of parking places will be equal to the number of flats in the building. There are 16 flats per building and there will therefore be 16 parking spaces. However, there will be 2 additional parking spaces for guests where a parking permit is required.
There will be a door to each stairwell leading up to the flats for safety and convenience. All doors in the basement, as in the rest of the building will be wooden.
Communal Laundry There will not only be parking in the basement but also three communal laundry sites, located in the tower corners. The laundry sites will only be available for the residents and in order to allow everyone to use it without coinciding someone else’s laundry time a booking system will be used, where people simply write their name and time down for when they want to use the laundry room. There will be 2 washing machines per laundry room and one tumble drier. This is to limit the use of tumble driers in order to reduce energy waste and instead there will be two rooms, with a coded lock, for hanging of clothes. Every one living in the building will have a personal code to the laundry and drying rooms. The whole idea with a communal laundry site is to prevent people from installing their own washing machines in their flats and instead encourage and enable a more environmentally friendly way of living. To access the laundry site, there will be a corridor from the staircase leading to the nearest tower. This is to prevent people from having to walk through the parking area when going to and from the laundry site.
Small steps for a large change There are many things that can be made in order to make a building more environmentally friendly and sustainable. However, radical approaches may not attract many people which are why we need to use simple yet environmentally friendly standards in order to attract the maximum number of people and investors. Little things that improve the environment but still allow us to live a fairly convenient life will help us get further than we think. By using more expensive materials such as timber and thicker insulation in construction of buildings, which may seem unnecessary in some cases, but may in fact lead to a better lasting home and less costs in the long run, i.e. more sustainable. Adding more green spaces, personal as well as communal gardens, roof terraces and balconies, to buildings will allow us to grow more plants and help reduce the amount carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. With this in mind, it is still important to maintain our cultural heritage and our history and to some extent try and recover what we have.
MATERIALS With the company recover it is the job of Materials Director to source the materials that we wish to use for our development of ‘Harris Gardens’. These materials should be of environmentally sustainability and quality. Materials should try to be located locally to each individual project; whether it is in Scotland or elsewhere around the world. recover has decided to build an eco-friendly development in the heart of Dundee, Scotland. This has proved quite a task to try and link the materials we plan to use in with the surrounding area, so as not to look to out of place.
THE BUILDING To start with the foundations of this build have to be comprised of block-work. This is not very environmentally friendly; however, this needs to be used in order to use a timber-kit frame. The block work will have a layer of DPC (Damp Proof Course) before the erection of the timber-kit; this is to ensure that the water that will rise up through the block work stops at the DPC so the wood does not rot. The timber-kit frame is then built on top of the foundations. We have used a timber frame rather than a steel frame, as timber is more environmentally friendly and also has more of a synthetic appeal to it. Another reason for using a kit frame is because more and more developments are trying to use this type of frame and make their development more eco-friendly, due to the increase awareness in Global Warming. The timber-kit frame also does not use as much energy to produce, as those of steel frames. (This shows what a timber kit frame would look like during construction)
Once the foundations and the frame of the buildings have been completed, then we can start on the exterior façades. These are going too made up of reclaimed local stone which will tie in with the surrounding area, but also be sustainable and eco-friendly. Some of the stones used might have a reddishbrown tinge to them which would indicate that they maybe came from a disused development near the Arbroath area on the east coast. This is because red sandstone is native to this area, due to the red cliffs in which the town consists of. The use of reclaimed stone will also give the buildings character and age, and try to look like those on Rosefield Street which is adjacent to our site. Reclaimed stone is a lot cheaper to source and buy, than getting it delivered from a quarry. Quarrying is not environmentally friendly either and would not be cost effective to an eco-build.
(We hope to find stone like this, although it may not be as red, as reclaimed stone will have weathered from being exposed)
Carrying on with the exterior materials to this build, recover has chosen to use wooden window frames instead of the new development style which seems to be UPVC. UPVC is a plastic type substance that is certainly not an environmentally friendly product is both production and material. Another reason for using wood rather than UPVC is because Triple Glazing which we are planning to install has to be fitted into a wooden frame rather than a UPVC one. Our source for the window frames is a company down in London called Bieber Wood Windows. They treat there wood with environmentally friendly stains to help keep the up keep down to a minimum and make the wood last longer in the harsh weather that the UK sometimes has. We have chosen to go for oak frames as this will tie in with the flooring (refer to interior). The use of wooden window frames however, will blend in with the character of the reclaimed stone that is being used as the cladding to the timber-kit frame and age the building so it doesn’t look like a brand new ‘clean’ building, like some of the housing schemes which are built today e.g. Betts Homes.
(The picture on the left is a sample of the houses that have been built on the outskirts of Dundee. The picture on the right is the examples of the new properties that have been developed in Findhorn).
(This is what wooden frame windows would look like)
Interior Materials Insulation is an extremely important factor in the construction of a building, as this is what keeps heat locked in the building. Now-a-days the market has a wide variety of environmentally friendly products to choose from as buildings are trying to become more sustainable and eco-friendly. So, for the insulation for recovers development of the Blackness road area, we have chosen straw bale insulation. This is because it is more cost effective, costing roughly 40 pence a bale or £1.50 for the bale and delivery and it can be sourced locally, due to the masses of fields which surround the local area. The UK has a surplus of straw bales of roughly 4 million tonnes per year, this is a good advantage to start building houses with more environmentally friendly products. Figures from the website www.stawbalefutures.org.uk say that if more homes were built with this product then about 450,000 super insulated homes at roughly 150m². A 3 bedroom house could be built with 400 straw bales and only cost £600, saving the developer £10,000 by using this method. To secure the insulation on place we are going to apply coats of lime render. This is a substance that will give the walls a smooth finish just like using plaster board.
(An indication to what Straw Bale Insulation will look like)
(The bales will then be coated in this lime render to protect and keep heat in the building)
A company called Russwood Flooring who is based up in Newtonmore in the highlands of Scotland are going to be supplying the internal wooden floorings for the lobby’s, and all flats and houses. This company lets you choose which type of wood you would like e.g. oak, and also treat it to your desired colour. When you buy the flooring, they also offer you an opportunity for under floor heating, which we were going to be using anyway, so this seemed like a perfect opportunity to get it all fitted by the one company. Most eco-builds use under floor heating, as this ends up paying itself over a number of years, rather than central heating which a lot of buildings have. Interior doors and the external doors will all be all is made out of wood, although the strengths of the wood will vary depending on the location of the doors. This will keep the entire materials used constant, so as not to cause too many contrasts throughout the development.
(Pictures of under floor heating and how it works).
ROOFING The roofs are going to comprise of reclaimed slate, to try and keep the character of the building the same as surrounding buildings in the area. Reclaimed slates have been chosen because they can be sourced locally off derelict buildings, this will be more environmentally friendly than importing from England or further north in Scotland. The roofs will only need to be half covered; as roof terraces will be positioned to the rear of the buildings (refer to Construction and Design section).
(Reclaimed slates, as you can see they will not all be the same colour. Will give the building some colour and character)
STORAGE SHED For the construction of this building we are basically just going to use all the same principals as we have for the two buildings at the top of the site. This building is going to be located at the bottom left of the site, where a building exists at the moment. However, we are going to demolish this building and then re-use its stone and roof to make the new building. The new building will be set a little further back in the corner than the already existing one does at the minute. The building is going to house the wood pellet fuel burner and be where any maintenance work needs to be carried out on equipment, to do with the running of the development. This building will also contain 2 solar panels on the roof, to try and generate more heat for the houses. (The building in the middle of the picture beside all the trees, is the one we propose to knock down and build again).
INTERIOR DESIGN 1. Introduction 2. Town houses analysis 3. Standard interior design package 3.1 Furnishings 3.2 Lighting 3.3 wall coverings 3.4 Kitchen 3.5 Bathroom 3.6 laundry room 4. Additional interior design package 4.1 product examples 5. Design proposal/ manual drawings
Introduction The recover green build project does not stop at exterior design. We offer a high bespoke interior design service, dedicated to integrating eco friendly products within these Dundee west end town houses such as furnishings and appliances to promote and expand the environmental aspects within our project. Our main objective is to create an environment for residents to receive the highest quality of a green life, but taking into consideration this particular build is within the city it must cater to a realistic lifestyle. For this reason, we provide a basic interior package but an additional consultation service is provided to fully furnish the town houses to the occupant’s personal preferences.
Town houses There are two styles of town houses available. The smaller of which is situated on the second floor, this particular town house consists of two double bedrooms and an attractive lounge. The main appeal of this particular residence is the smaller upper floor, which is where the high quality open space kitchen and dining room is situated, leading off into an impressive roof terrace. This space comprises of a sloping roof including velux windows increasing the amount of light into the space. The second style of townhouse is larger which includes three to four bedrooms, one luxurious en-suite, a main bathroom and a large spacious lounge/kitchen. The main feature of both town houses is the large tower windows. The basements of the townhouses have laundry rooms and underground parking. The town houses interior design is of a welcoming modern style with an influence of a green build aspect running through it.
Standard interior design package Furnishings Floorings Each town house consists of sustainable wood flooring. We realise the devastating affect that intensive forestation has, so recover takes a more considerate approach by using a local supplier. We source our wood flooring from Russwood Ltd situated in the Scottish highlands, their philosophy being compatible with our own, treading on the earth more carefully and reducing the environmental impact as much as possible within forestation. The wood flooring incorporated in the town houses is maritime pine varnished in dark cherry with matching high skirting boards. The varnish is more environmentally friendly as it is specifically designed to cater to recovers particular standards, the varnishes are VOC free (Volatile organic compounds). Each of the bedrooms and staircases in the town houses are fitted with seagrass flooring, this alternative is not only aesthetically pleasing but is a renewable and biodegradable resource. It also has low energy output during its manufacturing. The bathroom flooring is slate sourced from the United Kingdom which cuts down on emissions being produced during transportation.
Lighting The green build will consist of lighting fixtures which incorporate green energy efficient light bulbs which use up to 80% less electricity compared to the standard light bulb.
Wall Coverings The majority of the interior walls will be covered with neutral colour clay paints, this is used within a large amount of recover’s designs as it is a natural product that produces a great result. The paint is a healthy option being VOC free, practically odour free, improves the indoor air quality and prevents any damp. This is ideal for timber framed structures such as this particular green build. The bedrooms are wallpapered in individual neutral colours and made from a variety of sustainable non toxic materials such as bamboo, arrow root and jute. The bathroom walls will be tiled using two different types of glass wall tiles, these products are 100% recycled and are extremely durable.
Kitchen Incorporated in the townhouses are high quality kitchens which have an essential environmental aspect. All of the kitchens comprise of solid bamboo worktops, this product is one of the most ecologically beneficial substitute materials available in the market at present. Bamboo is a grass which is fast to harvest; it significantly reduces the environmental impact that is associated with the pressures on subtropical deforestation. The kitchen walls are finished in impressive 100% recycled wall glass tiles. The kitchens are supplied with energy saving fridges reducing energy up to 60%. The ceramic sinks within the kitchens are reclaimed.
Bathroom The bathrooms in the build consist of low flushing toilets to cut the household water use by 20%. These low flushing toilets save more than 50% water use compared to the standard toilet. The bathrooms are supplied with complimentary bamboo towels an eco friendly option. All our sinks and baths are reclaimed and within this green build are ceramic.
Laundry room Each building consists of a laundry room comprising of a select amount of Washing machines. These washing machines are energy saving and cut down a third of the electricity produced by the standard machine. The machines also reduce a significant amount of CO2 emissions.
Additional interior design package Example An interior design example has been produced to show the potential that these particular townhouses posses, this can be seen within the drawings. There are a variety of unique environmental products available to convert such a townhouse in to the ideal sustainable home.
Furniture
A comprehensive choice of eco friendly furniture is available. This design proposal includes beds, chairs and sofas consisting of sustainable materials such as durable birch plywood sourced from renewable forests in Finland. This proposal uses a significant amount of bamboo in its design, influenced by its positive sustainable qualities. This table was previously a washing machine that has been converted into a unique interior piece; it is fitted with a low energy light bulb inside to show of its character. This table would look superb positioned in the tower of the townhouses. The tower is a focal point and would be the ideal place for this environmentally friendly hand made twig bench.
Soft furnishings Accessories such as cushions are made from 100% reclaimed seatbelts these come in a range of colours and designs to compliment the sustainable furniture. These silky textured cushions would be particularly suited to the lounge area and bedrooms.
Lighting These sun jars are a great alternative light source as they are solar powered. These would be ideal for use in the tower of the townhouses placed on the windowsills, at night these will be fully powered giving a pleasing ambience. These glow blocks are similar to the sun jar, solar powered and produce a light source during the evening. The glow blocks in the proposal are positioned in the bedrooms but would be ideal for any room.
Eco lampshades are available made from 100% recycled materials such as cardboard and printed in unique designs. This particular sample is produced from a combination of 80% post consumer waste and 20% post manufacturing waste.
Study Within the design proposal, office spaces have been created. There are a few products that have been used to convert the study into a more eco friendly area, Converging technology with sustainability. The standard computer monitor, mouse and key board are covered in plastic, a material which is far from environmentally friendly. The preferred material option is bamboo.
Design proposals Manual drawings GROUND FLOOR TOWNHOUSE SCALE 1:50
2ND LEVEL FLOOR PLAN GROUND FLOOR TOWNHOUSE SCALE 1:50
1ST LEVEL FLOOR PLAN
TOP FLOOR TOWNHOUSE SCALE 1:50
1ST LEVEL FOOR PLAN TOP FLOOR TOWNHOUSE SCALE 1:50
2ND LEVEL FLOOR PLAN
TOWNHOUSE TURRETT
TOP FLOOR TOWNHOUSE KITCHEN PROPOSAL
ENERGY EFFICIENCY The need to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions has been increasing severely over the past few years, and there has been a rise in people looking into ways in which their green house gas emissions can be reduced. recover take the rise in carbon dioxide emissions as a very serious matter which is why in our homes, we do the best we can to cut down on these emissions and ultimately help to create homes that are not only carbon friendly, but use sustainable methods and appliances that are generally very beneficial to the environment.
Energy Provisions Almost half of the UK’s CO2 emissions are from the things we do in every day life, such as leaving the lights on, boiling the kettle, watching TV. These are all things that require electricity, which is provided by companies that are largely contributing the rise in CO2 levels. There are many alternatives to provide energy for cooking, and carrying out day to day life without contributing a massive amount to climate change and creating a sustainable future for others.
Wood Pellet Burner A wood pellet burner will be used as they are fully automatic and work in much the same way as oil and gas burners. However, pellet boilers are more advanced in technology as they use microprocessors to control the amount of air and fuel that is being supplied to the combustion chamber. This helps to ensure a greater efficiency of around 90% and extremely low emissions. Pellet boilers can also be operated on timers, just like a normal heating system within a home, they are very adaptable. The only disadvantage of the pellet burner is that it needs to be cleaned once and month and ash also needs to be removed, however the amount of ash will be minuscule as the pellets burn efficiently.
Solar Panels and Solar Hot Water Solar panels create electricity through photovoltaic cells, which are made from silicon. When the photons (particles of sunlight) fall on the cells, they dislodge the outer electrons of their atoms and push them along to the next atom. A chain of moving electrons is produced. When a wire is attached to the solar panel, the chain of moving electrons can be pushed down it, therefore supplying a useable electrical current. The electricity produced in this manner, flows in one direction only and this is known as a direct current. Electricity from the national grid is alternating current because the flow of electrons changes direction around 50 times per second. Solar electricity does not because environmental problems like other sources do. There are no emissions that will pollute the atmosphere; there is no extraction involved and no transportation of raw materials to power stations. In the long term, solar energy also provides the home owner as a cheaper yet
renewable alternative to fossil fuels as there is no ‘supply and demand’ fuel prices to contend with. Hot water is produced through solar energy by absorbing the sun’s energy and transferring it to a storage cylinder. Unlike the photovoltaic cells with solar electricity, the panels heat the water, collected from the rain, directly and so do not produce electricity. Figure 1 below shows how the basic mechanisms of the solar hot water system. The water temperature can reach 60-90◦C, even in the winter water Figure 1 temperature is still relatively warm because the system can utilise energy from diffuse light. In the UK, however, it is not possible to use solar energy as the main source of hot water, which is why wood pellet boilers will also be provided within the properties. Although in the summer months, the solar heating system should be able to provide all of the hot water needed by the properties. It is probably the most cost effective renewable energy technology that can be installed in a home. A typical system could provide 72% of a household’s hot water over a year period (15% in winter, 100% in the summer).
Water Conservation Water is a precious resource. In the UK we extract water from rivers and underground aquifers; however this is causing serious environmental issues, along with the water shortages that have been becoming more and more common. The demand for water, for use in the homes, industry and agriculture, has been rising, and it has been predicted that the environmental issues could be coming more prominent in daily life. The effects of global warming and climate change are bringing fears of water shortages become more common. Urbanisation is causing the loss of more and more impermeable surfaces increasing flooding risks. These are the reasons as to why our company prefers to opt for devices in the home that can help to conserve our water sources and provide a more environmentally friendly way of living, without causing our home-owners any problems. The following methods of water conservation will be fitted in our new eco-builds.
Rainwater Harvesting Normally, rain water would just go down the drain; however rainwater harvesting collects the water for domestic use such as for flushing the toilet, washing machines. The system works by attaching a filter to a down pipe, this is where the water is collected, leaves and other debris are discarded. The clean water is stored in a tank, and is subsequently pumped on demand to dedicated supply points
Such as toilet cisterns, washing machines, garden taps. Potentially, a rain water harvesting system could provide 84% of household water usage. A link to the mains water will still be needed as a backup. The rain water is filtered by the collecting unit which excludes the leaf debris and other larger particles. The next stage is known as the ‘settlement stage’. Here, heavy particles sink to the bottom and the lighter organic matter 1: Leaves and debris are filtered. 2: Calmed inlet 3: Floating filter 4: Overflow Siphon 5: Infiltration. 6: Integration controller. 7: Electronic pump control. 8: Pump. 9: Pressure tank. 10: Rainwater for washer, toilets.
Figure 2
floats to the top of the tank. A beneficial biological layer is formed by the heavier particles, which accumulate at about 1-2mm a year. There is an overflow unit that is attached within the unit; the use of this is to ‘skim’ floating particles from the surface when the tank overflows, this is shown as the overflow siphon on figure 2. This removes particles that are lighter than water such as pollen. When the water is used, it is extracted by a floating filter (Figure 2), from the cleanest part of the tank which is just below the surface. The calmed inlet which is labelled number 2 on figure 2 controls the water leaving the filter. It prevents the disturbance and re-suspension of fine sediments that gather on the bottom of the tank. Another important function of the inlet is the introduction of oxygen into the lower layers of the tank which maintains a fresh supply of water while preventing anaerobic conditions from forming. Helping to maintain the water quality by removing organic matter and by introducing oxygen, this means that the water is kept in aerobic conditions and it prevents the water from becoming malodorous. Rainwater is naturally soft and so is ideal for use for washing machines and it also means less detergent is needed and the build up of limescale is also reduced. The water is also chlorine free as it has not been treated in a water plant. It is for these reasons, that we install these systems in our developments. They are environmentally friendly, efficient systems.
Low Flush Toilet The Water Supply (Water Fitting) Regulations of 1999 came into force in 2001 for WC’s. These regulations state that the maximum flush volume for a WC is 6 litres. Typically a WC uses around 30-40% of total household water use, which shows that there is a huge potential for reducing this number and there
are a few ways, which have been considered by us to reduce the maximum flush volume of a WC. Firstly, one can install a composting toilet. Composting toilets do not use water to get rid of the waste; instead it allows natural processes to produce useful compost, after a resting period. There are usually 2 chambers, one would be in use for about a year and the other chamber would be resting and the material in it would be decomposing forming compost which can be used on land. After a year these chambers would be swapped. However, these toilets are high maintenance, needing to be regularly checked to see that there are no blockages. They are also very space consuming, which is not felt appropriate for a family home. We felt, as a company, that although composting toilets are highly environmentally friendly and ideal for an eco home, they would not be suited for young families. So, we have opted for low flush toilets. Low flush toilets are another way of ensuring that our homes comply with our water conservation ethos. By installing ultra efficient flushing WCs in our homes, we are able to cut down on the amount of water used and we conform to the regulations of the maximum flush volume of 6litres. Our WC’s use 4litres when used for full flush, and on half flush they draw on 2litres of water. The WC’s are designed to work ably at low flush volumes. They are an adequate device that we like to install in our homes because of they are much more beneficial to the environment and fit into our ethos of eco friendly homes.
Insulation Insulation is a key aspect of our homes. By insulating properly and effectively, the amount of energy needed to heat a home can be reduced significantly. Insulating the walls of homes helps to reduce unwanted heat loss.
Wall Insulation The use of straw bales for insulation is becoming ever increasingly popular, and it is also has an average R-Value of around 3. The R-value is the way contractors measure how well the material insulates. Using stray bales to create an insulation layer for the homes means that we are utilising a waste material from farmers. Many would think that using straw would increase the risk of fires in the homes, however this is not true. Tests have been carried out and the concluding results show that un-rendered straw insulated walls are less of a fire risk than timber. A few other elements that detract people from using straw are that people feel they will attract vermin, however this is not true, because mice and rats aren’t attracted to straw as it is not a source of food. The insulation needs to be rendered with lime to act as a sponge for moisture and allow it to evaporate. There are many advantages of using straw for insulation. It is a good insulator and so helps to save on heating bills, reducing the amount of CO2 emissions.
It is biodegradable, and a natural material that can be locally sourced at a low cost. It is for these reasons that we prefer to use straw when insulating our homes.
Windows Having windows that are fitted correctly, so that there are no gaps, and it’s all airtight can make a tremendous difference. A typical house, generally tends to have double glazed windows, this helps with insulating and keeping heat in and saving on bills, but also adds an extra security element to the home. Recover have a good repertoire with the company Ecoplus. And so we will be using their windows in our buildings. Ecoplus use eco-friendly products to create their windows. The diagram shows some of the aspects of their window designs which prove popular to our company.
Waste Management We like to encourage recycling in our homes to continue with our eco-friendly ethos. In our storage/maintenance depot we have a several bins available for residences to separate out the household rubbish. We are providing residents with separate bins for green, white and brown glass, paper bin, plastic bins and a bin for general waste that can’t be recycled. recover want to follow Dundee City Council’s Waste Management Strategy by encouraging recycling wherever possibly, this is even shown in our building materials by using reclaimed materials. In 2001 alone, Dundee buried 76% of its waste in the ground, recycled and composted 11% and used 13% of the waste for energy purposes. The plan outlined a change in this and wanted to recycle 25% of waste by 2006. recover hope to help the council achieve better rates than this by the example set by our new building development, Harris Gardens.
Energy efficiency is vital in our developments as it helps to promote to others that there is so much that can be done to help combat climate change. By using renewable energy sources such as solar power, we are helping to promote how easy it is to adapt a more sustainable lifestyle in the home. Rainwater collection is such an efficient use of water, especially as it water is be considered more and more as a finite resource. Overall, all homes can be more energy efficient and we use are using these methods in our new build because of their benefits to the environment, and we hope that others will follow suit.
LANDSCAPE PROPOSAL recover’s landscape design incorporates both the traditional and the contemporary. Whilst the planting used is traditional, using native and noninvasive species and following the theme of a country garden, the layout is less formal and more user-friendly. Existing trees species will be kept and extended. Birch and Rowan will be replicated as native existing species. All decking used in the development is Ekodek, a composite material of wood flour (approximately 55%) and recycled polyethylene. The development landscape incorporates three main communal areas: The Garden, The Growing Garden and The Pond. There are also two privately owned garden areas on the roof and the adjacent to the ground floor of the flats. A utility cottage is also situated at the western gate.
Communal Gardens
The Garden The Garden is a place where residents can meet, eat and relax. The large decked area incorporates a green-roofed shelter and a large arbour. This looks onto the grassed sunken plot with two recessed seating pits. This area is the most social of the whole garden with a place to sit and socialise with a glass of wine. The decked areas are linked by compacted clay paths, which are lined with scented lavender and delicate flowers. To the other end of the garden is a second smaller arbour looking back over the garden. It is a place of peace and contemplation surrounded by meadow flowers and again lavenders to attract wildlife to a sheltered area and promote relaxation.
The Growing Garden
The aim of this garden is to promote green growing. The emphasis is on organic and home-grown food. Accessible to all residents the plots are not only a source of food but a source of interaction and education. The area has a path encircling a decked area. This decked area has raised circular beds for growing herbs such as thyme, sage and mint. On the outer sides of the garden are the growing plots. In the corners of the area are composting boxes. It is encouraged that residents not only compost the garden waste but also household waste for use in the gardens. The Growing Garden has strict restrictions, as does the whole development, on the use of pesticides, herbicides and inorganic fertilisers. There would be in place simple system of crop rotation to decrease the need for artificial improvements. There is no obligation for residents to use or maintain the garden but it is hoped that the green ideals of the Harris Gardens will be exploited here and the benefits realised.
The Pond Central to Harris Gardens is The Pond. This large circular pond not only provides a focal point to the area but is also one of the most prominent promoters of biodiversity. This is achieved through the plants used such as: Water Milfoil, Willow Moss, Water Soldier, Marsh Marigolds, Flag Iris and Water Hawthorn. This use of plants provides a year-round functioning pond with a wide selection of native oxygenators; providing water purity, floaters, marginals; providing habitat and protective cover for small animals and deepwater aquatics; giving pond life shelter from direct sunlight and reducing the volume of UV reaching the pond thus reducing algal growth. As in the Garden, there is a green roofed shelter overlooking the pond with a platform extending into the pond. This allows a closer look at the pond and a more hands on approach, especially for children.
(image from http://www.gardenvisit.com)
The shelter was inspired my contemporary designer, Dairmuid Gavin’s design ‘Westland Garden� a silver gilt winner from the 2007 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Roof Terrace
The terraces design is ultimately left to the residents for their own needs and tastes. In place is the decked floor and on the perimeter of the terrace a raised platform for seating. Central to the terrace edge overlooking the development, is a stepped viewing platform.
BIODIVERSITY ON HARRIS GARDENS Many assume that the term ‘biodiversity’ only applies to areas such rural Scotland, farmland and forests. However, it’s a term which is used to include a variety of living things, which can be found in many places from window boxes to dense woodland. In response to the Rio Earth summit in 1992 the UK government pushed for the creation of local biodiversity action plans to allow the focus of local action needed for the UK’s diverse species and habitats. The area of Tayside has formed a Tayside Biodiversity Partnership which is made up of legal bodies, local authorities, non-governmental organisations and members of the public. This partnership created the Tayside Local Biodiversity Action Plan. Tayside includes Perth and Kinross, Angus and the City Of Dundee. The diverse setup of Tayside desires a wide spectrum of action as it includes the rolling hills of Perthshire to the urban setting of Dundee. Harris Gardens is situated is heavily built-up with common 2 story housing in the North and tall three story flats with small, shared gardens in many parts. These gardens do not provide diverse enough habitats for a wide range of plants, animals and insects. Harris Gardens provides a brand new habitat bringing back a variety of plants, animals and insects into the city of Dundee. Harris Gardens is fully behind the Tayside Local Biodiversity Action Plan and is willing to co-operate and build-on its ideas to change the urban environment of Dundee. With the guidance from the action plan, Recover will enforce the following actions suggested in the plan; o Our gardens will be pesticide and fertiliser free as this can harm the wildlife living in our garden. o Environmentally friendly washing products such as ‘Ecover’ will be encouraged in housing to protect the aquatic environment when the water is drained. o Creating our own compost in our garden will save having to extract it from elsewhere and also create a rich environment for insects and worms. o If having to use compost from another source it must be peat-free to save the bog habitats. o Planting a variety of native species of trees helps the sustainability of their kind and provides a natural habitat for bird-life. o Our large volume of plants and shrubs in the garden will provide many homes for a wide variety of animals. o Planting holly bushes with berries is not only a good wall and fence cover but will also provide winter food for the birds. o Our garden pond will provide a habitat for aquatic life including plants, fish and insects.
o The large trees situated around the site create damp, dark habitats for a different range of species. o Around our development and gardens will be bird and bat boxes to encourage nesting and a stable home for local wildlife. o Rough areas set back for Wildflower lawn can attract insects to feed and breed and the flowers can provide seed as food for small birds. o Shrubs erected in the garden will provide new stable habitats for animals such as birds and hedgehogs.
Future Biodiversity in Harris Gardens Harris Gardens is the beginning of a new biodiversity in the city of Dundee. Its self contained garden has set an example for the rest of inner-city Dundee. It shows how a variety of habitats can be created instantly just by improving the variety of plants, shrubs and trees available. The garden is manageable and each habitat is self-sufficient by the animals living in the area. As the garden ages over time the habitats shall grow in number and in size increasingly attracting more organisms into the garden. In the future, the number of animals and insects in the surrounding area should increase if neighbouring housing is willing to improve their planting as animals learn to retreat back to this area of Dundee.
Costing General Site Site Clearance Site Draining Drive-Way construction Security System Utility Cottage Professional Fees
£10,000 £20,000 £5,200 £5,000 £10,000 £5,000 Total £55,000
Individual Housing Cost Timber-framed kit home £60,000 Reclaimed local sandstone £5,000 Reclaimed local Slate roofing £1,500 Insulation- Strawbale £800 Insulation-Warmcel100 £500 Steel guttering £300 Redwood windows x 12 £7,200 Redwood Exterior doors x 3 £6,700 Solar panals £5,000 Solar Water heaters £1,800 Wood pellet Burner £3,500 Other build costs (Damp proof course, foundations, other £100,000 general work) Professional Fees £10,000 Total £192,300
Interior Seagrass Flooring Reclaimed Pine Flooring Wall coverings Water efficient bathroom suite Bathroom & Kitchen tiles Bathroom & Kitchen Worktops Kitchen Interior doors Professional Fees
£320 £1000 £1,000 £1,000 £4,000 £1,000 £6,000 £2,000 £2,000 Total 16,320
Landscaping Path Construction Decking Trees Shrubs and Plants Timber Structures Solar outdoor Pond Barbequing facilities Professional Fees
£2,000 £8,000 £40,000 £25,000 £4,000 £2,000 £12,000 £5,000 £8,000 Total £106,000
Total Cost £55,000 Total Site Cost Total Cost of Housing x 32 residential units £6,153,600 £16,320 Total interior Cost £106,000 Total Landscaping Cost Total Cost of Development £6,330,920
CAD MAP OF SITE TODAY
CAD MAP AND SITE PLAN WITH GOOGLE IMAGE TODAY
CAD DRAWING OF DEVELOPMENT
SKETCH UP DRAWING OF BACK OF ‘HARRIS GARDENS’
CONCLUSION
• We hope to have regenerated a sense of community spirit through the project, by creating communal gardens, laundry areas and a pleasant eco-friendly environment to live in • Recover want to help promote an eco-friendly lifestyle by installing energy efficiency devices, using reclaimed material and indigenous plants. • By living here we hope that it reduces our residents carbon footprint, aiding our Government’s fight in Global Warming, but also helping to create an awareness that eco-friendly is the way forward.
PHASING
TASKS STAGE 1
COMPANY NAME LOGO DESIGN CV BUILDING SITE USAGE MISSION STATEMENT TEAM REVIEW COMPLETED CONSULTANCY DOC TASKS STAGE 2 TEAM SITE INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS BUILDING STYLE SITE LAYOUT ORAL PREP STAGE 2 REVIEW FINALISE ORAL
WEEK BEGINNING (2007) 24/9 2/10 9/10 16/10 23/10 30/10 12/11 19/11 26/11
5/11
REFERENCES Main Body of Text Garden visit Garden designs at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2007 Available: http://www.gardenvisit.com/garden_design/shows_festivals/chelsea_flower_s how/2007_garden_design_review (15.11.07) Ecodek Product Profile Available: http://www.ecodek.co.uk/index.php (17.11.07) www.strawbalefutures.org.uk (16.11.2007) www.russwoodflooring.co.uk (16.11.2007) www.biebar-wood-windows.co.uk (16.11.2007) www.channel4.com/4homes/ontv/grand-designs (16.11.2007) www.energysavingtrust.org.uk www.urbanliving.co.uk www.nigelsecostore.com www.untothislast.co.uk www.earthbornplants.co.uk www.rainharvesting.co.uk www.energysavingtrust.org.uk www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk www.lowimpact.org www.dundeecity.gov.uk www.heatandplumb.com www.thomasmitchellhomes.com www.greenbuildstore.co.uk www.urbanharvesting.co.uk www.hargreavesreclaimedflooring.co.uk www.constructionresources.com www.demolitions.co.uk www.ezcarpets.co.uk www.bethesdaslate.co.uk Websites used for diagrams and some of the pictures www.hempbuilding.com www.inspect-ny.com www.ecoheat.co.nz www.hampshireplumbingandheating.co.uk www.geo.ed.ac.uk www.accommodationindundee.co.uk