HTA bags UK's first eco-village

HTA's designs for the UK's first eco-village

• Increase image
• View all images

HTA Architects has won a competition to design the UK's first net-zero-carbon 'eco-village' in Bristol.

The London-based practice, backed by developer Barratt Homes, beat an impressive shortlist which included Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, PRP Architects, Proctor Matthews, Acanthus Ferguson Mann, and Broadway Malyan.

Set up by English Partnerships (EP), the Carbon Challenge competition called for proposals to design 200 net-zero-carbon homes (equal to the Code for Sustainable Homes' Level 6) on the 6.6ha Hanham Hall site.

HTA director of building design Steve Newman said: 'It is going to be very difficult to achieve true zero carbon, but we've always been aware of that.

'I think EP chose our scheme because it was slightly more sympathetic to the site. We usually push for higher densities, and that makes achieving zero carbon easier, but here we went for a more suburban design.'

• Increase image
• View all images

Housing minister Yvette Cooper announced the winner on Tuesday, and claimed the that development will become a 'leading example' in sustainable developments.

Cooper said: 'This marks a revolution in the way we design and build homes. We want to build more homes but also to higher standards.

'People said this couldn't be done, but, in fact, this first Carbon Challenge site shows that developers are already preparing to build the first major development of zero-carbon homes.'

According to EP, the scheme has given developers the chance to look at the various obstacles faced in trying to achieve Code Level 6, which becomes mandatory by 2016.

Last week the AJ reported that many of the housebuilders bidding for the EP site had been rocked by news that they would not be eligible for Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) – effectively a green-energy subsidy (AJ 06.12.07).

It was hoped that cash from the ROCs would help with the expensive outlay and running costs for on-site renewables.

Meanwhile, a further two sites in Doncaster and Wigan have been earmarked for new Carbon Challenge competitions, and the shortlist has been revealed for another Carbon Challenge development on London's South Bank.

The shortlisted developers for South Bank Phase 1 are:  
 
• One  Peterborough  (a consortium of Crest Nicholson and Bioregional Quintain) and Sheppard Robson Architects;
• Gladedale Group and PRP Architects;
• Carbon Challenge Consortium (Galliford Try and Cross Key Homes) and Terence O'Rourke; 
• Barratt  Homes and HTA Architects;
• P Pod (Morris Homes and Gentoo) and Klas Tham (Ghel Architects), Maccreanor Lavington Architects, Karakusevic Carson Architects, Browne Smith Baker Architects, and Tommy Hedlund (Foundation Fargfabriken) with Urban Area; and
• Gleeson Homes and Stewart Milne Group with Proctor Matthews Architects.