BedZED
Encyclopedia
Low-energy house
A low-energy house is any type of house that from design, technologies and building products uses less energy, from any source, than a traditional or average contemporary house...
housing development in Hackbridge
Hackbridge
Hackbridge is a suburb in London Borough of Sutton, Greater London. It is situated 9.07 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Hackbridge was home to the first Country dogs home opened by the Duke and Duchess of Portland...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is in the London Borough of Sutton
London Borough of Sutton
The London Borough of Sutton is a London borough in South London, England and forms part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the 80th largest local authority in England by population. It is one of the southernmost boroughs of London...
. It was designed by the architect Bill Dunster
Bill Dunster
William Robert Dunster OBE is a British architect.-Early Life:Prior to forming Zedfactory, Dunster worked for Hopkins Architects for over 14 years specialising in low energy and sustainable development....
to support a more sustainable lifestyle. The project was led by Peabody in partnership with Bill Dunster Architects, Ellis & Moore Consulting Engineers, BioRegional
BioRegional
BioRegional is an entrepreneurial charity, which aims to invent and deliver practical solutions for sustainability. It was founded in 1992 on the belief that overconsumption of resources was the driving force behind environmental degradation, and set out to find new ways to meet more of their needs...
, Arup
Arup
Arup is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom which provides engineering, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of the built environment. The firm is present in Africa, the Americas, Australasia, East Asia, Europe and the...
and the cost consultants Gardiner and Theobald. The 99 homes, and 1,405 square metres of work space were built in 2000–2002. The project was shortlisted for the Stirling Prize
Stirling Prize
The Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize is a British prize for excellence in architecture. It is named after the architect James Stirling, organised and awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects...
in 2003.
Location
BedZED is accessible from the east side of London Road (A237), opposite New Road, approximately 500 metres north of Hackbridge stationHackbridge railway station
Hackbridge railway station is a railway station at Hackbridge in the London Borough of Sutton in South London. The station is served by First Capital Connect and Southern trains...
. Because of BedZED's low-energy-emission concept, cars are discouraged; the project encourages public transport, cycling, and walking, and has limited parking space.
The development is within about five minutes walk of Hackbridge station, which services trains from London Victoria and St Pancras International
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
via London Blackfriars
Blackfriars station
Blackfriars station, also known as London Blackfriars, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the City of London, England. Its platforms will eventually span the River Thames a short distance downstream from Blackfriars Bridge. The current entrance is located on the...
. There is a Tramlink
Tramlink
Tramlink is a tramway system in south London in the United Kingdom which began operation in May 2000...
service from Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
or Wimbledon
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
to Mitcham Junction station, which is within 15 minutes walk of BedZED.
BedZED is serviced by the 127 bus on the Purley
Purley, London
Purley is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, England. It is a suburban development situated 11.7 miles south of Charing Cross.The name derives from "pirlea", which means 'Peartree lea'. Purley has a population of about 72,000....
–Tooting
Tooting
Tooting is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
route, via Wallington railway station
Wallington railway station
Wallington railway station is in the London Borough of Sutton in south London. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southern, and is in Travelcard Zone 5....
and Hackbridge
Hackbridge
Hackbridge is a suburb in London Borough of Sutton, Greater London. It is situated 9.07 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Hackbridge was home to the first Country dogs home opened by the Duke and Duchess of Portland...
.
Design principles
- Zero energyZero energy buildingA zero-energy building, also known as a zero net energy building, Net-Zero Energy Building , or Net Zero Building, is a popular term to describe a building with zero net energy consumption and zero carbon emissions annually. Zero energy buildings can be independent from the energy grid supply...
—The project is designed to use only energy from renewable sources generated on site. There are 777 m² of solar panels. Tree waste fuels the development's cogenerationCogenerationCogeneration is the use of a heat engine or a power station to simultaneously generate both electricity and useful heat....
plant (downdraft gasifier) to provide district heatingDistrict heatingDistrict heating is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location for residential and commercial heating requirements such as space heating and water heating...
and electricity. The gasifier is not being used, because of technical implementation problems, though the technology has been and is being used successfully at other sites. - High quality—The apartments are finished to a high standard to attract the urban professional.
- Energy efficient—The houses face south to take advantage of solar gainSolar gainSolar gain refers to the increase in temperature in a space, object or structure that results from solar radiation...
, are triple glazed, and have high thermal insulation. - Water efficient—Most rain water falling on the site is collected and reused. Appliances are chosen to be water-efficient and use recycled water when possible. A "Living MachineLiving machinesLiving Machine is a trademark and brand name for a patented form of ecological wastewater treatment designed to mimic the cleansing functions of wetlands. The latest generation of the technology is based on fixed-film ecology and the ecological processes of a natural tidal wetland, one of nature’s...
" system of recycling waste water was installed, but is not operating. - Low-impact materials—Building materials were selected from renewable or recycled sources within 35 miles of the site, to minimize the energy required for transportation.
- Waste recycling—Refuse-collection facilities are designed to support recycling.
- Transport—The development works in partnership with the United Kingdom's leading car-sharing operator, City Car ClubCity Car ClubCity Car Club is one of the leading car club operators in the UK. Established in 2000 and with over 500 vehicles, it is the oldest and one of the largest Car Clubs operating at a national scale in the country. Operating a range of low-emissions vehicles, it uses the now standard technologies of...
. Residents are encouraged to use this environmentally friendlyEnvironmentally friendlyEnvironmentally friendly are terms used to refer to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies claimed to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment....
alternative to car ownership; an on-site selection of vehicles is available for use. - Encourage eco-friendly transport—Electric and liquefied-petroleum-gas cars have priority over cars that burn petrolGasolineGasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
and diesel, and electricity is provided in parking spaces for charging electric cars.
Performance
Monitoring conducted in 2003 found that BedZED had achieved these reductions in comparison to UK averages:- Space-heating requirements were 88% less
- Hot-water consumption was 57% less
- The electrical power used, at 3 kilowatt hours per person per day, was 25% less than the UK average; 11% of this was produced by solar panels. The remainder normally would be produced by a combined-heat-and-powerCombined Heat and PowerCombined Heat and Power may refer to:* Cogeneration* Combined Heat and Power Solar...
plant fueled by wood chips, but the installation company's financial problems have delayed use of the plant. - Mains-waterDrinking waterDrinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
consumption has been reduced by 50%, or 67% compared to a power-shower household. - The residents' car mileage is 65% less.
Embodied carbon
The greenhouse gasses released as a result of building construction - the embodied carbon in buildings—is usually ignored. But it was calculated for BedZED by one of the project initiators, BioRegionalBioRegional
BioRegional is an entrepreneurial charity, which aims to invent and deliver practical solutions for sustainability. It was founded in 1992 on the belief that overconsumption of resources was the driving force behind environmental degradation, and set out to find new ways to meet more of their needs...
. They say:
the embodied environmental impacts of BedZED’s construction materials are within the same range as standard UK housing. The total embodied CO2 of BedZED is 675kg/m2, whilst typical volume house builders build to 600-800kg/m2.
This means a 100m2 flat in BedZED has embodied carbon of 67.5 tonnes CO2. Compare this to carbon rations suggested in the GreenRationBook http://www.greenrationbook.org.uk/ :
The average UK citizen creates 11 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) a year. New UK targets aim to cut this by 80%. Dividing the ration equally between categories "consumables", "building", "transport" and "government", allows 1.5kg per day.
This argument gives a ration for building of 500 kg CO2e per person per year. For two people living in an average-sized 3-bedroomed flat, the 67.5 tonnes CO2e is 60+ years of their building ration. That's before the flat is heated, the fridge switched on and the impact of all the other necessary buildings (shops, offices schools etc.) are considered.
Awards
- 2001 - Housing Design Award for sustainability, from the Royal Institute of British ArchitectsRoyal Institute of British ArchitectsThe Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
- 2001 - Evening StandardEvening StandardThe Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
New Homes Awards – BedZED won the London Lifestyle award. "Ambitious and brave, and a model for future developments" - 2001 - UK Solar Awards, run by Energy 21, for BedZED – "perhaps the most influential of all housing projects this century".
- 2002 - World Habitat AwardsWorld Habitat AwardsThe World Habitat Awards were established in 1985 by the Building and Social Housing Foundation as part of its contribution to the United Nations' International Year of Shelter for the Homeless in 1987....
– BedZED was a finalist. - 2003 - Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Award for sustainable communities – BedZED was short listed with 3 other projects.
- 2003 - Stirling PrizeStirling PrizeThe Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize is a British prize for excellence in architecture. It is named after the architect James Stirling, organised and awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects...
– BedZED was short listed - 2003 - RIBARibaRiba means one of the senses of "usury" . Riba is forbidden in Islamic economic jurisprudence fiqh and considered as a major sin...
journal sustainability award - 2003 - Housing Design Awards – BedZED won a 'Completed Scheme' award.
- 2003 - Ashden AwardsAshden AwardsThe Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy are annual awards given by a charity of the same name that is based in London. They reward local sustainable energy projects in the UK and developing countries that protect the environment, and improve quality of life....
- for projects building on the experience of BedZED - 2002 - Energy Globe Award – international award recognising BedZED as the foremost example of sustainable energy in building and housing.
- 2002 - Building Services Award for innovation.
- 2004 - Bremen Awards Special Commendation
- 2004 - Civic TrustCivic TrustThe Civic Trust of England was a charitable organisation founded in 1957. It ceased operations in 2009 and went into administration due to lack of funds/...
’s sustainability award - 2005 - Sutton and Cheam Society Design award.
See also
- Energy efficiency in British housingEnergy efficiency in British housingDomestic housing in the United Kingdom presents a possible opportunity for achieving the 20% overall cut in UK carbon dioxide emissions targeted by the Government for 2010...
- Passive solar building designPassive solar building designIn passive solar building design, windows, walls, and floors are made to collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and reject solar heat in the summer...
- BioRegionalBioRegionalBioRegional is an entrepreneurial charity, which aims to invent and deliver practical solutions for sustainability. It was founded in 1992 on the belief that overconsumption of resources was the driving force behind environmental degradation, and set out to find new ways to meet more of their needs...
- Peabody housing association