THOUGHT LEADERS EC COMMUNITIE
"Our homes are game-changing for many reasons. They are inherently green, which means we’ve really thought about everything, from minimising construction waste on-site, to making sure the homes are as energy-efficient as possible,” explains Jonathan Falkingham MBE, co-founder of House by Urban Splash. “That is good for the environment and
considering residents’ environmental impact at its new Alconbury Weald community, developers at Urban&Civic have also begun implementing strategies to promote local biodiversity, with a focus on reducing airborne pollutants and facilitating healthy living. Alconbury Weald’s ‘Green Infrastructure Strategy’ will create woodlands and hedgerows throughout
ABOVE (Lef t) Laragh's Emerson Park
development and (Right) Eddington in nor th Cambridge
our customers’ pockets. Around 67% less energy is required to create our Town House compared to a standard similar new home, and the overall carbon footprint is reduced by around 90%.” Another example of a development that is setting the standard in sustainable living is Eddington, a visionary new urban community delivered by the University of Cambridge. Providing new homes, learning facilities, amenities and green spaces, the vibrant environment at Eddington
the site to connect with surrounding ancient woodlands and historic field hedgerows. It’s hoped this will help create large, interconnected areas of species-rich grassland and capture water through a sustainable urban drainage system. One important aspect of delivering the Alconbury Weald development has been ensuring a net gain in biodiversity, monitored with support from the Wildlife Trust. To date, over 50,000 trees have been planted, storing in excess of 170 tonnes of carbon each year and
Alconbury Weald seeks to mitigate the biodiversity crisis, as well as encourage residents to lead more healthy and active lifestyles"
has been developed to be long-lasting – a quality exemplified by Hill’s Athena development on the site, which prioritises lifelong wellbeing and investment in a sustainable future. The innovative and unique infrastructure at Eddington has been integrated across the development to help residents lead more sustainable lives. It includes the UK’s largest underground waste and recycling system, along with the UK’s largest water recycling network, that will nearly halve residents’ water consumption. The design of the homes and buildings at Eddington utilises solar panels extensively, as well as drawing energy from the development’s centralised energy centre and district heating network. This provides a greener, more environmentally-friendly source of heating, hot water and energy. “Sustainability is one of Eddington’s key priorities, from the neighbourhood’s conception, planning, design, construction and operation,” says Warren Forsyth, Eddington’s operations director. “Sustainable measures are built into the fabric of Eddington and we’re proud to help residents live more sustainable lives.” Some of the most innovative new housing developments have been designed with more than just their residents in mind, too. In addition to
helping to significantly ameliorate airborne pollutant levels. “Our approach to sustainability at Alconbury Weald seeks to mitigate the biodiversity crisis we’re currently facing,” explains Urban&Civic’s Rebecca Britton. “It encourages residents to lead healthy and active lifestyles through carefully considered landscaping and amenities, all designed with local ecosystems in mind.”
BELOW Achieving a net
gain in biodiversity is a critical aspect of Urban&Civic’s Alconbury Weald development
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ISSUE 08
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