Bioregional
BedZED: South London’s eco-housing complex
Sevice Area:
housing and energy
Sevice Area:
housing and energy
Background
Housing provision is closely entwined with environmental goals. Building construction, usage and maintenance are typically highly carbon and resource intensive. If everyone’s housing needs are to be met within planetary boundaries, it will be essential to develop and replicate radically different approaches.
Local Action
Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED) is an estate of 100 homes first opened in the London Borough of Sutton in 2002. The complex was designed for low carbon living, so residents can meet their needs sustainably.
Different non-state actors came together for BedZED’s construction, involving collaborative efforts from Bioregional, the sustainability social enterprise; Peabody Trust, the housing association; and ZEDfactory architects. A green future rests on this kind of cooperation between various sectors.
The project integrates housing and other services, notably energy and transport. It underlines that essential service areas – and the environment in which they sit – are highly interrelated and must be designed and managed accordingly.
Impact on local residents
Of the 100 homes, a quarter were reserved for social rent, a quarter for shared ownership and half were sold on the open market. While short of ideal, the social rent quota far exceeds that typical of new builds in the UK.
The BedZED project has aimed to promote wellbeing and a strong sense of community. Residents all have access to a communal field, allotment spaces, a wildlife area, a gym and a community bar for social events.
Environmental Impact
Various aspects of the housing scheme were designed to minimise resource usage and its overall carbon footprint. Some green features have certainly been effective, while others have been unsuccessful.
Construction materials were selected from renewable and local sources where possible. For structural components, Bioregional remanufactured reclaimed softwood walling studs and structural steelwork from local demolition sites. Materials and labour were largely obtained within a 50-mile radius of the site. However, many of its key structural components are products of fossil fuel consumption, such as ground granulated blast‑furnace slag blocks, bricks and concrete.
BedZED homes require 40% less water than average metered homes in the borough, with water-saving appliances such as dual flush toilets, aerated flow taps and water-efficient washing machines.
The buildings incorporate simple solutions to minimise the need for energy use, such as highly insulated double brick walls and double and triple glazed windows. Energy-efficiency has been central to the design to reduce heat loss and maximise solar gain.
Solar panels on site generate 30% of its electricity, with the remainder provided by a green tariff energy supplier. Originally a wood-powered boiler provided heating on the estate but was replaced by a biomass alternative in 2017 following technical difficulties. Also, several residents have had to install individual gas boilers because the wind cowls used for passive ventilation led to cold temperatures in some properties.
BedZED saw the introduction of England’s first car club onsite, which allows residents to rent a car by the hour, so that mobility needs can be met while bypassing private vehicle ownership and associated emissions.
What's next?
BedZED was an early pioneer and has helped encourage advancements in sustainable housing since 2002. Despite some shortcomings and teething problems, its embodied carbon is still lower than most new builds today. The project remains a source of knowledge for future developments and points to ways of reshaping existing infrastructure.