Aerial view of the estate - courtesy Bill Dunster Architects
Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED)
Contributed by:
Jennie Organ
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The UK's largest eco-village - a Peabody Trust development in partnership with BioRegional and designed by Bill Dunster Architects.
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Overview
If everyone in the world lived as average UK residents do, we would need the equivalent of three planets to support us. BedZED was built as a remedy to our current unsustainable lifestyle, and to show that we already have the capacity and expertise to build and live sustainably if we choose to.
The sustainability of BedZED was considered right from the outset with a Green Transport Plan, energy and materials strategies. The partners knew that sustainability couldn’t be tackled by bricks and mortar alone and that greener lifestyle choices i.e. travel, food and waste can actually bring the largest environmental gains.
Another key aim was to create a socially inclusive sustainable community, with housing for social tenants, key workers and owner occupiers. BedZED is a high-density development suitable for inner city areas, and the model will help to minimise urban sprawl. The site is built to the same density as London’s Soho but nearly everyone has a garden.
The site 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.
The largest environmental savings in terms of CO2 reductions have come from green lifestyle features: The green transport plan - which includes a car club, promotes walking, cycling and the use of good local public transport has given an 11% reduction of CO2. Local food links help residents reduce their CO2 by 4% and waste recycling reduces carbon impact by a further 3%. Architectural savings are less significant with a 1% CO2 reduction from the south facing conservatories and another 1% reduction from the solar panels.
In terms of amenity BedZED includes a sports facility, an Exhibition and Visitor centre, funded by Biffaward, WWF and the Association of London Government, and village square. Public amenity and the home zone design have encouraged a real sense of community, with residents holding events such as farmers’ markets, a music festival and an organic Christmas dinner.
As the first development of its kind, BedZED did suffer from cost over-run, but with areas of risk now well defined, BioRegional are working with construction companies to reduce cost. We are also working with other architects to interpret sustainable living in different styles, broadening the audience receptive to adopting green living.
Key features
materials
Key data
Completion Date: 01/09/2002
Project Team: BioRegional, Bill Dunster Architects, ARUP, Ellis and Moore, Gardiner and Theobald
Cost: £15 million
Local Authority: London Borough of Sutton
Client: Peabody Trust
Links
BedZED pages on BioRegional's site
Peabody Trusts' BedZED site
Bill Dunster Architects' site
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