GCG consulted on this competition entry for 4 sustainable homes. The site is in the Yorkshire Dales. These affordable homes had to fit a very tight budget, yet fit into the surrounding vocabulary of buildings and terrain, and achieve high-quality space at the same time. Yorkshire has ambitious targets for sustainability, including improvements to biodiversity and development to aim for Net Zero Carbon.
We proposed a cost-effective solution for energy and water use which would achieve up to zero or near-zero carbon (the area is not linked currently to a smart grid, so zero-carbon would be achieved when such a grid is available), plus very aggressive water reduction for both internal and external use.
Materials include local slate, local stone, woodfibre, hempcrete, which is simple to install and functional as well as extremely sustainable. The main framing is made of a digitally fabricated friction fit ply structure to reduce cost and maximize use of quickly renewable construction materials with a low carbon footprint.
The site is enhanced with SUDS to assist with poor site drainage and bat boxes and improved landscaping encourage biodiversity.
Welcome to a greener world