Green Street in The Meadows
Green Street in The Meadows is an outstandingly successful eco housing project by specialist developer Blueprint that was conceived to prove a point about sustainability and regeneration.
Providing a cool twist on a traditional urban street in a disadvantaged area of Nottingham, it is designed with unprecedented standards of sustainability and quality, making it irresistible to the market. All 38 homes sold off plan, to owner occupiers, bucking a sluggish housing market and demonstrating clear demand for architect-designed eco housing.
The £8 million development, on Nottingham’s Trent Embankment, comprises 38 three-and-four bed town houses designed by Marsh Grochowski architects.
The homes have ground-level courtyards and large roof terraces, and most also have balconies and private car ports/garages. They are three-storey, with external timber louvers, providing sunshade during the summer yet allowing low winter sun in.
Sustainability comes as standard, with leading edge green technologies and a specification that minimises energy consumption and maximises efficiency. The homes are significantly cheaper to run than comparable properties.
A ‘fabric first' approach provided the energy saving cornerstone of the development, with features including super-high levels of insulation and industry leading air tightness. Technologies include roof top photovoltaic panels providing solar supplemented electric (and an income stream for occupiers), whole-house heat recovery and ventilation, and maximum use of natural light.
All the building materials were chosen to meet the Green Building Guide A-C rating, with FSC certified timber. All materials purchased by Lovell, the contractors, were obtained through responsible sources, and it is Lovell policy to ensure a minimum of 80% of materials are from certified schemes.
All properties were designed and constructed to reach A rated Energy Performance Certificates as well as Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 (the building fabric actually achieved Level 6), and the insulation specification for all elements of the buildings surpassed current insulation levels noted in Building Regulations Part L 2006.
