30 PROJECT REPORT: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTS
November 2024, followed by the Homes England funding which was secured in 2025. Construction onsite began in March 2025, with the development launching to market in Autumn 2025 and the show home opening in November 2025. The scheme is “progressing well,” says Stone, with full completion currently on track for later in 2026.
There were several derelict homes and commercial buildings on the site which were demolished to make way for the new homes, with 99% of the materials from these reused onsite. The existing access was also carefully designed into the scheme to prevent having to remove mature trees and create a new access point.
The overall layout of the site was designed to integrate with the existing landscape. The homes have been carefully arranged to “sit comfortably within a green framework of retained trees, wildfl ower meadows, hedgerows and green corridors, creating a strong connection between buildings and nature while supporting wildlife,” explains Stone. This approach has contributed to the 10% biodiversity net gain requirement being met onsite.
A new public play trail and a nature walk link the development with the wider area, as well as providing accessible green spaces for both residents and visitors. There are ample pedestrian routes to connect the homes to the natural elements, encouraging outdoor activity and social interaction. Stone explains further: “The site layout prioritises wellbeing and community.” Beyond the boundaries of the site, the development also benefi ts from surrounding countryside, nature trails, lakes and fi elds, î‚´reinforcing its balance of sustainable living, accessibility and a strong relationship with the natural environment,” explains Stone. It also links to nearby amenities, with Didcot Parkway Station just over three miles away and Europe’s largest science and technology park (Milton Park) a 15 minute walk away.
THOUGHTFUL DESIGN SUPPORTS GREENER LIVING AT THE CANOPIES
THE ULTIMATE AIM WAS TO BUILD HOMES THAT WOULD MAKE LOW-CARBON LIVING “EFFORTLESS” FOR CUSTOMERS
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When it came to designing how the homes would perform, maximising sustainability was front of mind for the team: “It’s the golden thread that runs through everything we do,” Stone says. “It was the clear inspiration behind the design of these homes.”
The ultimate aim was to achieve the company’s ‘better than net zero’ principle, but also building homes that would make low-carbon living “effortless” for customers, says Stone. “Combining exceptional energy effi ciency with strong architectural character to deliver a genuinely futureproofed place to live.”
The orientation, form and detailing of the homes was shaped by a Passivhaus- informed fabric-fi rst approach, to “minimise energy demand naturally,” explains Stone. “Every design decision was guided by our commitment to reducing carbon without compromising on quality, durability or aesthetics.”
Materials were an important part of the overall design process, from both aesthetic and performance perspectives. The homes were built utilising Greencore Homes’ own BIOND closed panel timber system which it manufactures at its factory in Bicester. Panels are fully insulated with natural materials, which means they “lock up” more carbon than they emit. And, the company is ultimately in control of the manufacturing from day one. This offsite manufacturing process allows “precision engineering” to within a +/-1 mm tolerance, which means homes are airtight and watertight within approximately two weeks of the fi rst panel being erected. It allows the company to reduce waste while simultaneously shortening programme times, improving quality control and reducing onsite risk and variability. “By replacing carbon- intensive materials such as concrete and steel with timber-based systems, we materially reduce embodied carbon while maintaining structural integrity,” says Stone. To help reinforce the low carbon credentials of the scheme externally, the homes have been fi nished chiefl y with timber cladding, alongside other natural materials, which also “creates warmth and visual character,” says Stone. The cladding was chosen to add visual warmth as well as “reinforce the environmental credentials,” says Stone, “ensuring sustainability is expressed not only in how they perform, but in how they look and feel.”
Sustainability features have been integrated carefully into the design of the homes, “ensuring environmental performance is embedded rather than applied,” Stone explains. Renewable technologies were also integrated within the homes to ensure they can maintain optimal energy performance and comfort all year round.
Every house includes triple glazed timber windows, highly insulated envelopes and “optimised building forms” in order to minimise heat loss, says Stone. Homes also have MVHR, air source heat pumps, wastewater heat recovery and integrated roof-mounted solar PV systems. The combined benefi ts of all these features is, says Stone, “speed of construction, reduced embodied and operational carbon, improved build quality and lower running costs for residents.” “That discipline is ultimately what enables us to deliver scalable, future-ready low
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