Hanham Hall is a model of future housing design, having set out to demonstrate how new homes can meet the highest environmental standards and at the same time have maximum consumer appeal. Features like allotments, an orchard, balconies and verandahs make this an attractive place to live. The 195 new homes for private sale and affordable rent make up the first large scale suburban development in England to achieve level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. The scheme, designed by HTA and developed by Barratt, is one of a number of flagship schemes being created under the Carbon Challenge initiative promoted by the Homes and Communities Agency. The scheme occupies a former hospital site and is designed as a new village, with the grade 2 listed Hanham Hall building at its centre being refurbished and dedicated to community uses such as a crèche, shops and a café. Also at the heart of the scheme is a sustainable living centre that has space for small exhibitions and events, and houses a combined heat and power biomass plant that provides electricity and heat for the development and surrounding communities. A substantial amount of the site is dedicated to green space, including play areas, allotments, an orchard and a broad swathe of meadowland. The mix of homes creates a varied community, with one-bedroom apartments for the elderly as well as five-bedroom townhouses for families. They are designed to be highly energy efficient and incorporate rainwater harvesting, which will recycle rainwater for use in washing machines and toilets. Homes have attractive interiors including dual and triple aspect or double height spaces, while living spaces open onto shaded balconies and verandahs overlooking shared gardens. The scheme recognises that sustainable living is about people’s behaviour as well as buildings. It therefore incorporates ways of promoting shared and collective behaviour, such as shared spaces, parking and management. The scheme will be run by residents who will all have a share in a development trust set up to manage and maintain the buildings and grounds. |
