By Saturday lunchtime we had made our way over to Sue and Steve’s in Hackbridge Surrey (or is it Greater London?). They live in the award winning BEDZED development, which is designed to be as eco-friendly as possible, and is actually a truly amazing place. Their roof garden is on the roof of the apartment opposite, very novel indeed.
The apartments are all insulated to the highest standards and have no internal heating, save for the heat generated by the communal hot water system, cooking and the sun. The multi-coloured vanes on the roofs help to keep the air circulating, but have heat exchangers built in, so the air going into the properties is warmed to the temperature of that being drawn out.
It’s a great idea. Designed to be as economical to run as possible, the idea is to leave as small a carbon footprint as is economically viable. The south side of the apartments are predominantly glass, to allow the heat of the sun to gain access during the day. But they are all double (or triple) glazed so that heat is then retained. They also sport arrays of solar cells, which generate electricity to power the free-to-use electric vehicle charging points dotted round the parking areas.
For those of us who try to be as green as possible, it really is an amazing example of what can be achieved when a little extra thought goes into the planning. Thanks for putting us up S & S, it was a real eye-opener to see just how much of an eco-warrior you guys really are.
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