32 PROJECT REPORT: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTS
carbon homes without compromising on design quality.”
PASSIVHAUS PRINCIPLES
Every home on the development is built to “Passivhaus standards,” with a design driven by performance. This begins with the highly insulated building envelope alongside rigorous airtightness detailing to “dramatically reduce heat loss and overall energy demand,” explains Stone. The MVHR system ensures a continuous supply of fresh fi ltered air, and captures and reuses heat that would otherwise be lost, creating a consistent level of comfort and indoor air quality. The remaining energy demand is met with low carbon technologies, such as the air source heat pump and wastewater heat recovery systems. The integrated solar PV panels generate renewable electricity onsite. “Together, these elements enable ultra-low energy use intensity and support a net zero energy balance across the development signifi cantly reducing both carbon emissions and residents’ energy bills,” Stone explains.
While the high standards are admirable, Stone admits that setting ambitious targets inevitably “raises the bar” across every step of the development process. “It requires rigorous design discipline, early decision making and close coordination between teams, particular when aiming to outperform regulation rather than simply meet it,” she says.
Close collaboration between the designers, onsite contractors and
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the factory team was essential, says Stone, alongside “repeatable details and established construction processes refi ned over many years. She adds “This approach mitigated common risks associated with traditional construction and enabled high performance standards to be delivered reliably.” For residents, the impact is purely positive, with benefi ts including lower energy bills and a healthier indoor air environment. Stone cites KPMG research which shows almost half of UK adults would prefer to buy a low carbon home, and that 63% believe households should reduce emissions, and JLL data reporting of people rate energy effi ciency as more important than a year ago. “It highlights the growing expectation that homes deliver not just design quality but tangible environmental and wellbeing performance,” she says.
LANDSCAPING & BIODIVERSITY The emphasis on sustainability meant landscaping was a “fundamental component” of the overall design at The Canopies, “treated as a primary driver rather than an add-on,” explains Stone. “The layout responds to the site’s existing ecology, retaining mature trees and shaping the scheme around established natural features, rather than imposing a rigid housing pattern.”
The ecological strategy was designed to go hand in hand with the natural materials and low-impact construction. “The result is a neighbourhood where
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