Sustainable Living

With over 40% of the UK typical carbon footprint created through the routines of travel and consumption of food, the real Carbon Challenge is to offer people new lifestyles. More than just creating Zero carbon homes, Hanham Hall will be a unique opportunity for individuals to make the choices that will bring us all closer to reducing the impact we have on our planet.

The development of the hall and the grounds will be one of the first large-scale zero carbon communities in England and will be the first development by a major housebuilder to meet the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 6. It will meet demanding targets to reduce energy and water use and will reduce other impacts on the environment.

Sustainability isn’t just about tackling different issues in isolation - such as greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and irresponsible use of finite resources or loss of bio-diversity. It’s about taking a holistic approach to placemaking; ensuring that ecological, social and economic factors all combine to create a positive foundation that underpins a healthy, vibrant and happy community.

Homes at Hanham Hall will set new standards in the use of light, space, energy, water, materials and design quality. The homes are designed so that they will perform to the highest standards in every way. The air quality will be better, the heating system will be zero carbon, the windows will be the highest performance and the taps will save water.

CHP and Biomass

Hanham Hall will have a communal CHP (Combined Heat and Power) system, powered by a biomass boiler, which will generate hot water and supply electricity for all homes. The hot water will be stored in a cylinder that can be used for washing as well as the air-based heating system. This system is a key feature for delivering the zero carbon component of Code Level 6.

Heat for the homes and hot water will be provided by burning woodchips. Trees soak up carbon during their lives and store it, making them an essential tool for controlling the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. When woodchips are burned, this carbon is released into the atmosphere, more trees are planted to replace them , which will in turn, soak up the carbon again. This means that woodchip, or biomass is a zero carbon fuel, i.e. burning it does not add more carbon to the atmosphere so long as more trees are planted to replace those burned. This is unlike oil or gas which when burned, releases carbon into the atmosphere that cannot be extracted and increases the dangers of global warming.

Home grown produce and allotments

A key component of the scheme is to encourage residents to grow their own produce for consumption. We want to encourage residents to live more self sufficiently. Numerous kinds of fruit trees and bushes will be planted to give residents, particularly children, the opportunity to enjoy the simplicity of growing food locally. This will help to educate them about sustainable food production, and eating seasonally. We have also provided allotments for residents to rent and grow their own produce.

Transport and parking

Car parking areas will be positioned together in secure zones near each home to reduce the amount of space that provision for car parking usually takes up, and to allow the space in front of homes to be used as green areas. We expect these areas to be used for people to sit in and enjoy nature, where children will be able to play safely in front of their houses, supervised by their parents, without the dangers of cars driving nearby.

Public transport information will be available in the Sustainable Living Centre so that residents will be able to maximise the public transport opportunities presented and leave cars at home more often. A car club scheme will also run on the development, to encourage residents to share cars and provides a good chance for neighbours to meet. Walking and cycling routes will form an integral part of Hanham Hall so that residents will be able to walk and cycle safely through the development, making connections to public transport as easy as possible.

Ventilation

An average home in the UK loses ten times its volume of air daily, which means that in winter a heating system would have to heat the air in the house ten times every day in order to keep it warm. Homes at Hanham Hall however, have been designed to be reduce air leakage,through high standards of construction and high performance windows and doors. By reducing the amount of air lost each day to a minimum only the houses’ own volume of air is lost. This means that our homes need far less energy to heat them so energy bills will be reduced. The ventilation system replaces the air in the home regularly to keep it fresh, and in doing so, will filter the air to keep out dust and odours. Air will be extracted from the bathroom and kitchen at the same time and pushed out of the home in the same way.

Large verandas will allow homeowners to sit outside, extending the seasons and enjoying the natural surroundings. These external spaces will be useful for storage too, asmuch of the clutter of family life can be catered for including muddy boots, bicycles and recycling whilst still leaving room for a table and chairs to sit outside on warm evenings.

Recycling

Recycling centres will be positioned at strategic points around the development to allow residents easy access to them but without allowing the street to be dominated by bins. We want residents to recycle and reduce the amount of waste produced as a matter of good practice, as a natural action and not to be considered as a chore.

Sustainable Living