Affordable housing meets stylish design, renewable energy, green roofs, energy efficiency and prefabricated construction in this fantastic housing project in the London Borough of Hillingdon. Birchway Eco Community was built as an infill project to provide affordable housing for residents of Hillingdon and is more than just a series of green built prefab homes. The residents are creating a green charter that will serve as a guidebook for the community on how to live greener lives.
Designed by Acanthus LW Architects and built by Paradigm Housing in partnership with Hillingdon, Birchway is made up of 24 one and two bedroom units. Five buildings with curved sedum covered green roofs make up the complex, along with garden space and bicycle storage. The buildings are constructed from prefabricated modules made from 65% recycled steel, which were delivered with the kitchens and bathrooms already installed. Upon arrival, the modules were set into place by crane, connected together and then the exterior, roof and finishes were added. From site clearing to construction completion, the project only took two months to build out.
The beautiful green roofs include both skylights and daylighting windows to let in light to the rooms below. Rainwater is collected from the roof and stored on the side of the house. Photovoltaic systems are installed on the southern aspects and wood-pellet biomass boilers provide heating and hot water. With tight insulation, passive ventilation and heat recovery systems, energy efficiency was a top priority. On top of the spectacularly unique design, the award winning development was built to Level 5 of the UK’s Code of Sustainable Homes, with 6 being the highest.
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