Sustainability
sustainable standards using Passivhaus criteria to deliver a super energy efficient building. This will provide lower energy bills, constant fresh air, superior internal comfort, and peaceful interiors. In Flitwick (also in Bedfordshire) we are building an extensive older person’s village which will include a 72-bed care home, eight- bed short stay units, and 88 independent living apartments for the over 55s. The building is designed to meet dementia- friendly guidelines and the best energy performance Passivhaus standards. The core building, which was designed by architects Oliver and Robb at concept and is being delivered with Ingleton Wood LLP, will deliver the healthiest of environments to help reduce the Council’s energy demands in the future.
Central Bedfordshire Council
Tobin Stephenson, head of MANOP (Meeting accommodation needs of older people) at Central Bedfordshire Council, explains the role that Passivhaus criteria will play in meeting the council’s 2030 Sustainability Plan.
With its Accommodation strategy for adults with care and support needs, Central Bedfordshire Council has invested millions of pounds to build contemporary living places to ensure that older people have access to a better choice of accommodation and to ensure the provision of good quality environments through well-designed and constructed homes. In line with our Sustainability Plan to become carbon neutral by 2030, we are pleased to be building new residential homes to the highest sustainable standards using Passivhaus criteria to deliver super energy- efficient buildings.
We also take our responsibility to
provide care for those who cannot afford very seriously, as we know that good accommodation has a positive impact on people’s lives and their wellbeing, and that by improving the quality of their environment we will improve the lives of our residents. Central Bedfordshire Council operates
three care homes that are now outdated. We are in the process of replacing two of them and, together with the challenging conditions of finding providers willing to accept customers at the council’s rate, our approach has now shifted to the council
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designing and constructing care homes. Two residential home projects are currently under construction, both being built to Passivhaus standards. The first is Marigold House, located in Leighton Buzzard, which will provide replacement capacity for an existing home. With community at the heart of what we do, it will also feature hireable space and room for a day centre. The second development is a state-of- the-art senior living village in Flitwick, which includes Honeysuckle House - a 72-bed residential older person’s care home - and Camelia Court, an eight-bed short breaks facility which will sit alongside 88 one and two-bedroom independent living apartments for the over 55s. When complete, the development is expected to be one of the largest contiguous Passivhaus developments in the UK. The co-location of the apartments and care home will give assurance to our residents of a home and community for life. Again, with community at its heart, the development will feature a pub-style facility, function rooms, and dedicated spaces for health professionals,
with access to extensive community gardens served by pathways connecting to the adjacent leisure centre and footpaths. When completed, both residential homes will be operated by the council’s care company, Care Is Central. Once the homes are occupied, we intend to carry out post-occupancy evaluation of the buildings, capturing data, including from people living and working in the new homes, to inform the design of future schemes and to support academic research.
According to Julie Ogley, director of social care health and housing at Central Bedfordshire Council: “The council is committed to providing good quality environments for our older residents and this includes those in care homes. Matching the ambition in our Sustainability Strategy and building to Passivhaus standards will deliver homely environments with superior air quality that are warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Residents of these new care homes will be more comfortable, happier and healthier as a result.”
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com March 2023
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