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We're hoping to have a few more sketches over the next couple of weeks. All drawings by our architects at Sustainable Design Collective.
We have had to make some significant changes to the look of the houses, because it would have been too expensive to build them as we had originally hoped. The cost of building materials has significantly increased, so we have had to lose some of the elements, such as the meadow roofs. But we felt that the most important thing at this time is to provide the affordable and sustainable homes which local people desperately need.
So they will have a more typical look, and not all the homes will be south facing, which was as a result of a comment from Devon County Council to improve the 'street scene'. They thought that having some homes facing the main access road would improve the feel of the site. The East-West facing homes have all been modelled in PHPP and can still achieve passivhaus standard, although it is not quite as easy as for the south-facing homes which can make use of the passive solar gain The houses will be set within a naturally landscaped site, with easy access to plenty of shared green spaces, including play areas and wild areas. There will be a small orchard, allotments, ponds, and more. There is a well at the centre of the site which will be adjacent to a small new orchard, these two element give the site it's name. Healthy and Sustainable Construction
The passive design strategy will be enhanced by the use of natural and re-usable materials in the construction and finishes used on the buildings. This, taken together with an off-site pre-fabricated ‘kit build’ construction system, (delivered wind and watertight) will ensure efficient operation and construction to the highest standards. Prefabricated elements will reduce both the energy used in construction and minimise embodied energy as well as resulting in fewer vehicle movements to and from the site. |
