A new low carbon development has opened its doors in the English city of Leeds. Developed by Citu, Greenhouse is a mixed use development, consisting of 166 studio to three bedroom homes, 17,000 square feet of work space and leisure space. It’s designed to use technology, smart design and locally sourced products to complement the surrounding environment.
The development features wind turbines to generate energy for common areas, solar panels to heat water and an 80 meter borehole that is able to tap into underground water storage. An innovative component of the development is the heat exchange system that transfers excess heat between apartments and offices to save energy and eliminates the need for radiators and storage heaters. The system, which consists of a network of heat pipes, is able to store excess heat from the offices during the day for use by the residents in the evening.
Each apartment is outfitted with solid bamboo flooring, energy and water efficient fixtures, temperature sustaining insulation and 100 percent British wool carpets and recycled underlay. Water from the sinks and showers, in addition to water from a rainwater catchment system, is repurposed to flush the toilet, saving over three Olympic swimming pools of water per year. Additionally, the British manufactured kitchens were built by locals.
As a result of smart design and innovative technology, Greenhouse’s carbon emissions are 65 percent less than those targeted by the government. Residents can enjoy energy bills that are 60 percent cheaper than the standard. In addition, they can monitor their energy and water usage through a television accessible tracking system.
“This property proves that gone are the days when going eco meant you had to do without we're all about making it easier for people to live a sustainable life,” says Fraser Stride, Marketing Director of Citu. “It's the blend of technology and use of natural resources that makes this development really work. A huge challenge was to reduce energy consumption but increase the standard of living and this made it a very exciting project “
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