FEATURE ZED PODS
Unique Homes for Bristol The Bristol Housing Festival is investigating several innovative building types over a five year period. One of these features ZED PODS with its energy efficient and timber-based approach to building design.
T
he Bristol Housing Festival is running over five years and
rethink existing land use in central Bristol demonstrating new thinking
is being supported by Bristol City Council, Bristol and Bath
to help solve the housing crisis, whilst at the same time providing
Regional Capital, WECA and The Shaftesbury Partnership.
beautiful, low carbon housing.
It is acting as an incubator to road-test, in a real-world
scenario, both existing concepts and innovative solutions designed to
Drop In Units
accelerate the delivery of quality, affordable housing. These will include
September 2020 saw a ‘UK first’ take place as the 11 ZED PODS
exploring smart technology and offsite manufacturing. The Festival will
apartments were finally craned into place. The development will see
also highlight the ambition and work that is already underway in the city
the one and two-bedroom apartments built on a podium above the car
through partnerships, innovators, community groups and pioneers.
park in Chalks Road, St George. The development is being delivered in
A key housing project nearing completion is Hope Rise. This has been designed to be the first 100% affordable and zero-carbon housing
partnership with Bristol City Council, Bristol Housing Festival, YMCA and Bristol and Bath Regional Capital.
development aimed at creating a mixed tenure affordable housing scheme
The factory-built modular units can be erected within days and are
over the Chalks Road car park, adjacent to St. George Park, Bristol. It is a
designed to be zero carbon, energy neutral and have the lowest possible
pioneering environmental and socially focused development which will
running costs. Each unit is precision-made in a factory environment to
deliver much needed social housing in St George for young people in need
high environmental standards and comes with full BOPAS (Build Off-site
of affordable housing.
Property Assurance Scheme) accreditation. These ZED PODS are unique in
The project is being delivered by ZED PODs – the multi-award winning,
their approach to developments, by separating housing provision from land
eco-friendly and timber modular homes designer and builder. The modules
costs using air rights over car parks, thus making the development extremely
have been designed and detailed to be both highly energy efficient and
affordable. This removal of the ‘cost of land’ from the ‘price of housing’ could
Net Zero-Carbon in operation, to secure residents the lowest possible
see the use of the UK’s 200,000 city centre car parking spaces. This is also the
running costs. It comprises of nine one-bedroom homes constructed
first 100% socially-rented development of its kind in the country.
of cross laminated timber (CLT), book-ended by two two-bedroom
“We wanted to address key worker and affordable housing issues
homes constructed of light-gauge steel. This modular solution can be
without compromising on our values of sustainability and quality,” says ZED
demountable or permanent and delivers affordable living spaces above
PODS Operations Director Dr Rehan Khodabuccus. “We are very pleased
existing ‘carparks, garages, infills and hard-standing areas’.
that Bristol City Council has had the foresight to partner with us direct and
Providing affordable housing remains a fundamental issue for local
are so enthusiastic about the potential for more developments like this. We
authorities. The Hope Rise development will ensure that the support
have very much enjoyed working hand in hand with them to create what we
networks are in place for the tenants and is designed to increase tenant
hope will be a significant solution to the housing crisis and welcome their
interaction and neighbourliness. This innovative development will
open mindedness about innovations such as these.”
Timber Construction Magazine
Winter 2020
18
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