forgebank – environmental cohousing project
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Lancaster Cohousing. Forgebank – Environmental cohousing project. Jan Maskell Director of Process. Forgebank. What is environmental cohousing? A little history... Main aspects of our project. What is environmental cohousing?. Eco-homes - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Forgebank – Environmental cohousing project
Jan Maskell
Director of Process
Lancaster Cohousing
Forgebank
• What is environmental cohousing?
• A little history...
• Main aspects of our project
What is environmental cohousing?• Eco-homes
– Low environmental impact during both building and use; long life-span
– Using standards such as Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) and/or ‘PassivHaus’
• Cohousing – Private homes (smaller than average)– Communal facilities, including ‘common
house’
A little history...
Ecoarc
• Award winning chartered architects committed to sustainable design
• Specialising in carbon neutral ecological architecture, eco building and sustainable design
Halton site
Main Project Features
• 41 eco-homes– 35 within cohousing group; 6 at edge of site– Super-insulated; use of renewable energy
• Office and workshop space
• Communal facilities– Shared indoor and outdoor space
• Travel plan
• Inclusive organisational structure
• Community links
Eco-Houses• Built to ‘PassivHaus’ standard
– South-facing to maximise solar energy input– Super-insulated, including triple-glazing– 90% less energy consumption than average UK
house– Airtight and sealed to retain heat
• Materials (for example)– Walls: recycled concrete blocks; cavity filled with
recycled glass-wool– Roofs: clay tiles; wood insulation– Wood from sustainable sources
Renewable energy
• Low energy consumption to be met through:– Hydro-electric generator (separate project)– Solar photo-voltaic panels – Wood chip boiler and solar thermal panels
for hot water and heating– Some dependent on government funding
Workspace
• Existing ‘Mill’ building– Allows residents and other local people to
work close to home– Energy efficiency improvements
• 15 offices/ studios/ workshops
Indoor communal facilities
• Common house– Shared vegetarian meals several times a week– General social space
• Guest rooms– Allows residents to opt for smaller houses
• Laundry
• Children’s room
• Storage for food, bikes etc
Outdoor communal facilities
• 6 acre site
• Food growing areas
• Woodland and areas for wildlife
• Leisure uses
Travel Plan
• Aim: To reduce travel and prioritise environmentally-friendly options
• Workspace close by
• Facilities to support cycling, walking, use of public transport
• Car share scheme– Approx 1 car per 3 households– Cars at edge of site
Inclusive organisational structure
• Not-for-profit company– All households are members
• Consensus decision-making processes– Monthly General Meetings
• 7 Directors oversee the project– Project manager + professional team– All members contribute 2-3 hours a week
to communal work
Community links
• Part of Halton Carbon Positive
• Ongoing links with Parish Council and Community Centre
• Potential for local employment in Mill offices/ workshops
Who is in the project?
• Mixture of Lancaster residents and people from further afield
• Ages from 2 months to retired
• Range of backgrounds
Organisational Structure
Where have we got to? Lancaster Cohousing
Where have we got to?
• Land purchased July 2009• Planning docs prep Oct – March 2010• Planning permission July 2010• Prepare tender docs June – July 2010• Preferred contractor decided Sept 2010• Working drawings developed Sept - Dec 2010• Contractor pricing works Nov – Dec 2010• Negotiation with contractor Jan 2011• Appoint contractor Feb 2011• Negotiations with the bank Jan 2011 - July 2011• Loan agreed July 2011• Construction began Aug 2011• Leases signed Dec 2011