St Crispin's Wokingham eco-homes win award
Innovative eco-flats for key workers in the Wokingham borough have won a prestigious national award highlighting their green credentials.
At a high-profile Green Apple Awards ceremony in London on June 11, the 22 flats in Jeffery Close, off Seaford Road, Wokingham were recognised for the way their design and build, as well as the way people live in them, reflects excellent eco-practice. The development won a Gold Award for Civic Pride in the Residential category. The borough council’s senior housing strategy and development officer Louise Strongitharm collected the award from TV personality and environmental campaigner David Bellamy.
The flats have been built on the site of derelict bike sheds at St Crispin’s School and are being used to provide much-needed affordable homes for teachers in the Wokingham borough. They are expected to be the first flats in the borough to achieve an Excellent EcoHomes rating.
The Wokingham flats have solar thermal panels on the roof to provide up to 70 per cent of the hot water needed, with energy efficient combination boilers providing the additional hot water and heating. To ensure the flats do not get too hot in the summer, architects RBA have used solar shading. The flats also have a highly insulated timber frame. Labour and materials were sourced locally where possible to reduce fuel consumption during transportation to the site. Outside, the flats have water butts to water plants or wash cars, good storage to enable household waste recycling and room for a bike to encourage the use of green transport.
The methods of construction used aimed to be environmentally friendly. For instance, the parking area was surfaced using a shallow dig construction method to ensure any potential root damage to trees was minimised, and the surface itself allows water to permeate through it to the roots of the trees. Additional planting has also taken place to enhance the existing trees on site.
Louise Strongitharm said: “It is so rewarding to see this development come to fruition and for it to achieve a national award is really the icing on the cake. So many people have contributed to its success and it was a shame that only one of us could attend the awards ceremony, as the project has been a great team effort.
The success of the project has been a result of dedication and commitment from staff working for the council, Home Group, the housing association, RBA, the architects, Denne, the contractor, and PH Warr, the surveyors. The award success was celebrated by those involved in the project by a visit from Wokingham Borough Council Mayor Cllr Annette Drake on Wednesday June 23.
Cllr Drake said: “It was a pleasure to personally congratulate those involved in this worthwhile and successful project. Not only do these flats provide good accommodation at a rate teachers can afford, but they also point the way for sustainable development in the Wokingham borough.”
At a high-profile Green Apple Awards ceremony in London on June 11, the 22 flats in Jeffery Close, off Seaford Road, Wokingham were recognised for the way their design and build, as well as the way people live in them, reflects excellent eco-practice. The development won a Gold Award for Civic Pride in the Residential category. The borough council’s senior housing strategy and development officer Louise Strongitharm collected the award from TV personality and environmental campaigner David Bellamy.
The flats have been built on the site of derelict bike sheds at St Crispin’s School and are being used to provide much-needed affordable homes for teachers in the Wokingham borough. They are expected to be the first flats in the borough to achieve an Excellent EcoHomes rating.
The Wokingham flats have solar thermal panels on the roof to provide up to 70 per cent of the hot water needed, with energy efficient combination boilers providing the additional hot water and heating. To ensure the flats do not get too hot in the summer, architects RBA have used solar shading. The flats also have a highly insulated timber frame. Labour and materials were sourced locally where possible to reduce fuel consumption during transportation to the site. Outside, the flats have water butts to water plants or wash cars, good storage to enable household waste recycling and room for a bike to encourage the use of green transport.
The methods of construction used aimed to be environmentally friendly. For instance, the parking area was surfaced using a shallow dig construction method to ensure any potential root damage to trees was minimised, and the surface itself allows water to permeate through it to the roots of the trees. Additional planting has also taken place to enhance the existing trees on site.
Louise Strongitharm said: “It is so rewarding to see this development come to fruition and for it to achieve a national award is really the icing on the cake. So many people have contributed to its success and it was a shame that only one of us could attend the awards ceremony, as the project has been a great team effort.
The success of the project has been a result of dedication and commitment from staff working for the council, Home Group, the housing association, RBA, the architects, Denne, the contractor, and PH Warr, the surveyors. The award success was celebrated by those involved in the project by a visit from Wokingham Borough Council Mayor Cllr Annette Drake on Wednesday June 23.
Cllr Drake said: “It was a pleasure to personally congratulate those involved in this worthwhile and successful project. Not only do these flats provide good accommodation at a rate teachers can afford, but they also point the way for sustainable development in the Wokingham borough.”
Wokingham Borough Council
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