Sustainable furniture from Pli at new eco home project

Hyde Group, a social housing landlord, has led a project to retrofit conventional housing in the Mottingham suburb of London with the goal of reducing carbon emissions by 80%. Pli was happy to donate a Reee Chair and a Grass Media Cabinet to the interior-fit out in time for the launch last week by Dr Phyllis Starkey MP. The interior was designed and installed by One Eco Home.

This looks like a great project – it demonstrates the potential for eco housing to be made available to all sections of society and the way retrofitted materials and equipment can make the existing built environment more sustainable.

Here’s the Hyde Group press release for a detailed explanation of the project…

New super eco home leads the way for social housing sector

For immediate release 27th October 2008

A brand new eco home which has been retrofitted to have its carbon emissions reduced by 80% was officially opened last Thursday (23rd October) by Doctor Phyllis Starkey MP. The new project led by social landlords, The Hyde Group and partners, ECD Architects and Mears, is set to lead the way for reducing CO2 in existing homes and reducing fuel poverty for social housing tenants.

The project dubbed “Retrofit & Replicate” revolves around the refurbishment of a three bedroom house in Mottingham, South East London with a range of eco measures. It is estimated that the new technology could reduce the residents’ fuel bills by as much as 65%, which equates to approximately £600 annually, a figure set to rise even higher as fuel costs continue to spiral.

Special guest, Doctor Phyllis Starkey MP who chairs the Communities and Local Government Select Committee looking into Existing Buildings and Climate Change, attended the opening and was suitably impressed with the innovative new project.

Doctor Starkey MP commented: “In 2004, the UK’s 26 million homes emitted 41.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide: this represented more than a quarter of the UK’s emissions (27%). Much more needs to be done to encourage energy saving in our homes, which is why I am pleased to see the Hyde Group and its partners taking a lead in the critical work to make our existing homes more energy efficient.”

She continued: “Projects like this will help lead the way for both social housing and the private rented sector and ensure that tackling climate change in existing homes remains high on the housing agenda.”

Once occupied, the eco home will be closely monitored over two years and successful technologies will then be considered for replicating in Hyde’s stock investment programme across its 40,000 homes.

Hyde Group Chief Executive, David Eastgate said: “The Retrofit & Replicate project addresses the huge challenge of reducing CO2 emissions in existing housing stock and I am very proud that Hyde and its partners are looking to make such a valuable contribution to reducing carbon emissions and tackling fuel poverty.”

Experts believe retrofitting existing homes could save up to 15 times more carbon by 2050, than that achieved through proposed demolition and new build. This will have a major impact on the UK’s efforts to reduce carbon output.

The property retrofitted is a 1930s mid-terraced home, which was in need of refurbishment. It is an average family home, underlining the purpose of this project to identify replicable solutions for reducing CO2, which can be used in everyday homes right across the country.

The new residents will be provided with an understanding of how best to maximise the energy savings in their new home. Hyde will also carry out ongoing comprehensive monitoring to determine energy consumption; the level of CO2 emissions and ultimately the cost effectiveness of the different technologies employed throughout the property. The residents will also provide direct feedback to Hyde on matters of general comfort and satisfaction.

The monitoring results will be closely reviewed and Hyde will then look to implement and assess those measures which are most effective and can be practically replicated. Hyde and partners are confident that this two year project can make a major contribution to the development of national sustainability and energy efficiency policies.

ENDS

Attached are images of Doctor Starkey opening the house (left to right pictured with a sample of the roofing insulation are: Mark Elton (ECD Architects), Doctor Starkey MP, David Eastgate (The Hyde Group) and Ken Mantock (Mears). There is also still an opportunity for media to visit the house and speak to members of the project team on Wednesday 29th October at 11am. If you wish to attend or require further images of information please contact Emma Tedman at The Hyde Group on 0208 297 5409 or emma.tedman@hyde-housing.co.uk.

Editors Notes

The Hyde Group is a leading provider of affordable housing and makes a significant contribution to meeting housing needs and improving people’s quality of life. Hyde is one of the largest housing association groups working in England, owning or managing over 40,000 homes in London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, the East of England and East Midlands. More about The Hyde Group can be found at: www.hyde-housing.co.uk

ECD Architects is a London based, award winning architectural company specialising in the design of high quality, low energy and low environmental impact buildings. Originally founded in 1980 to combine architectural practice with energy research and consultancy, our expertise in environmental and social architecture has culminated in over 100 successfully completed projects for Local Authorities, Housing Associations and Developers throughout the UK.

Mears is the leading Social Housing repairs and maintenance provider in the UK, providing rapid response and planned maintenance services to Local Authorities and Registered Social Landlords. We deliver in excess of 3,000 repairs daily to a portfolio of over 500,000 houses nation wide. Our customer service philosophy is simply to make tenants smile. For further information visit www.mearsgroup.co.uk