Hockerton Housing Project
The Hockerton Housing Project(HHP) is an innovative,
sustainable development in the village of Hockerton near Southwell,
Nottinghamshire. The architects were Professor Brenda Vale and Dr Robert
Vale, whose own ground-breaking home in Southwell pro-vided much of the
inspiration and know-how for this project. It was completed in
September 1998, after three years of planning and 18 months of
construction. It has been designed as one of the first zero energy
residential systems in the UK, reducing life cycle energy to a minimum.
Its houses are amongst the most energy efficient, purpose-built
dwellings in Europe.
The construction of the project made the maximum use of benign,
organic and recycled materials and the development is designed to be, to
a large extent, self-sufficient. The houses are earth covered and have
passive solar heating, without a space heating system. A wind turbine
and photovoltaic system provide all of the energy required to run the
homes. The water and sewage system is self-contained.
The homes consist of a terrace of five single storey dwellings which
are earth-sheltered at the back, so that the ground surface slopes and
blends smoothly into the landscape. Each house is 6 m deep with a 19 m
south-facing conservatory running the full width of each home. A
repeated modular bay system was used for ease of construction. Most of
the internal rooms have 3 metre high French windows that open to the
conservatory. Those rooms that are not so dependent on natural light,
such as utility and bathing areas are located towards the rear of the
homes.
The development is located on a 10ha site that was previously used
mainly for agricultural purposes. Such a large area has allowed the
incorporation of features that enable the occupants to live in a
sustainable and self-sufficient way. This includes crop cultivation and
the rearing of small animals. It has also allowed for large water
catchment for the homes and waste disposal via a reed-bed system.
In response to increasing visitors, a new learning resource centre is
currently being built. This will include a dedicated audio-visual room,
seminar facilities and permanent exhibitions. The building itself will
be built to similar high environmental standards as the homes, including
meeting the zero heating and zero carbon dioxide standards.
For further information:
Contact: Nick White
Tel: 01636 816 902
E-mail: hhp@hockerton.demon.co.uk
www.hockertonhousingproject.org.uk
Millennium Green, Collingham
The Millennium Green developmentat Collingham near Newark
started in 1999 and consists of 24 dwellings and a business centre. The
houses boast a variety of energy saving features and have been
constructed of materials that have low environmental impact, such as
timber from managed forests and insulation made from recycled
newspapers. As a result, the houses will cost 50 to 70 per cent less to
run than an equivalent standard new house, and a reduction in carbon
dioxide emissions of up to 70 per cent will be achieved.
The houses feature three times the 2000 building regulations
insulation level, argon filled low E windows and ventilation with heat
recovery. Their principal glazing is on the south elevation to maximise
light and heat gain. To save on electricity use, low energy lighting, grade A electrical
appliances and a central
vacuuming system are used throughout.
Integrated flat plate solar panels generate approximately 60 per cent of
hot water requirements and taps and showers use aerated water to reduce
the amount of water used. Recycled rainwater from the roof is used for
toilet flushing, running washing machines and watering the gardens.
The houses cost 10 per cent more than standard houses to build and
therefore to buy, but this premium is counter-balanced by cheaper
running costs and more durable materials. The environmental aspects of
the houses in terms of insulation, materials, glass and layout are used
as a “unique selling point”. The developer, Gusto Homes, is locally
based and has gained national distinction for its environmental
management.
For further information:
Contact: Chief Executive, Gusto Homes
Tel: 01636 894900
www.gustohomes.co.uk
Jubilee Campus, University of Nottingham
The Jubilee Campus represents amajor expansion of the
University of Nottingham on the former Raleigh site (some 12.14
hectares) in Radford. Opening in October 1999 and costing approx. £50
million, the campus houses three faculties as well as three halls of
residence (accommodating 750 students), catering facilities, lecture
rooms and a Learning Resource Centre.
An exacting environmental brief for the project was developed by the
University. This required making optimum use of an existing mature tree
belt and promoting nature conservation, whilst providing high quality
working facilities for teaching and research. The campus buildings are
arranged along the edge of a man-made lake with the distinctively shaped
Learning Resource Centre located on an island platform.
Each of the faculty buildings consists of three-storey wings
connected at the rear with a stair tower; they are linked by full height
glass atriums
and clad with cedar. The building work began in 1997 and where possible
existing resources were retained, such as spoil and demolition
materials which were used to shape the landscape. Innovative materials
and new technologies were used to develop highly efficient ventilation,
heating, cooling and lighting systems for the complex.
In 1998, the University was successful in obtaining an EU ‘Thermie’
grant. This enabled it to develop and use advanced systems to come
closer to achieving its goal of running a ‘zero-energy’ campus. Wind cowls
were added to the air outlets to improve the draw-through of exhaust
air. The majority of roofs incorporate both ‘green roof’ technology and photovoltaic
panels (some 450 sq. metres in total). These panels produce enough
energy each year to drive the ventilation fans for the buildings.
Modifications were also made to improve daylight penetration, through
the use of light pipes, low energy lighting and sensors.
It is estimated that these buildings at Jubilee Campus are 60% more
efficient than the older buildings at the University Park campus.
For further information:
Contact: Tim Brooksbank, Development Director, Estates Office
Tel: 0115 951 3941
E-mail: tim.brooksbank@nottingham.ac.uk
Design Team for Project:
Hopkins & Partners, Arup & Partners.
Construction by: Bovis Midlands
Sherwood Energy Village
The Sherwood Energy Village (SEV) is located on a 91 acre former
colliery site at Ollerton. It is a major sustainable regeneration
initiative and by 2004 has reached an early implementation stage.
The initiative started in 1994, on the day that the colliery closure
was announced, and the local community was consulted about what they
wanted to see built on the site. An Industrial and Provident society was
set up in 1996 ensuring that the SEV organisation is democratically run
through its share-owning membership and is committed to applying its
profits for community benefit.
After acquiring the site and raising funds for new infrastructure and
marketing, land reclamation was undertaken in 2000. From the outset,
after decades of a harsh coal mine dominated landscape, the emphasis has
been on a clean environment and high energy performance in the design
of new buildings. The transformation is already well underway and will
feature some 185 dwellings, comprising eleven different housing types,
together with industrial units, prestige offices, and leisure uses all
surrounding a central park.
SEV’s design principles are based not only maximising energy
efficiency but also on design for comfort, safety, sense of place and
community. It is keen to source appropriate materials, promote
biodiversity, address waste streams and employ renewable technologies –
where energy use cannot be designed out. It has pioneered the UK’s
largest sustainable urban drainage scheme (SUDS) -where engineered swales conserve and treat surface water run-off.
Private developers have enthusiastically embraced the higher
environmental standards promoted by SEV. For example, an architectural
practice has built its own head offices, which will use ground source
heat pumps for both heating and cooling, and has plans for expansion.
More recently Centre Parcs has selected the village for its own new
HQ building. East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA) has invested in a
‘Sustainable Construction Pilot Project’ involving 6 speculatively built
industrial units (see picture), with natural light from skylights and
such high levels of insulation that they can be heated from an ordinary
domestic boiler.
The proposed mix of eleven housing types has attracted much
attention, (ranging from apartments to earth-sheltered dwellings). Care
will be taken in creating a sense of place, in orientation and profiling
against prevailing winds. Each householder moving to the Energy Village
will receive a SEV Guide to help with life-style choices for
sustainable living.
For further information:
Contact: Carla Jamison Manager & Company Director
Tel: 01623 860 222
www.sev.org.uk
