BedZED

BedZED located in the Sutton suburb of South London, 'offers 99 homes, most of which were occupied by September 2002, and workspace for around 100 people. The new housing is arranged in five terraces, all of which face south and have triple storey conservatories to maximise light and warmth from the sun. BedZED’s outer walls and roofs are super-insulated, combined with triple glazed windows, this negates the need for a central heating system. A wind powered ventilation system keeps the homes supplied with fresh air.

The buildings are largely constructed from recycled, reclaimed, environmentally accredited and local materials, e.g. the structural steel was reclaimed from a building in Brighton – low impact materials reduced the site’s embodied impact by 20-30%.

A Combined Heat & Power plant meets most of the energy demand at BedZED, this is fuelled by woodchips from waste timber that would otherwise be sent to landfill. Photovoltaic panels provide a further source of renewable energy. Kitchens and bathrooms are fitted with the latest energy saving appliances. Monitoring data on water and energy consumption demonstrated savings of over 30% on water use from water efficient appliances and fittings alone and approximately 90% on space heating.' (text: Jennie Organ, BioRegional)