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London eco-homes attract a crowd

Posted: 05/12/2006

A development of two houses in Bermondsey claims to be the first of its kind in the UK. The houses use materials and building methods that developers Robert Mosley and Amanda Menage hope will revolutionise sustainable developments of the future. Although constructed mainly from wood, these houses shouldn't be confused with wooden framed properties - these have solid wood walls, layered to some six to eight inches thick, forming a breathable skeleton, and allowing the house to create its own microclimate.

The shells were manufactured in Slovenia, and arrived in prefabricated panels complete with windows, insulation and Siberian larch cladding, grown in sustainable forests.

Because the houses were being built on an inner city plot, and had to fit into the urban landscape, the couple did not want a pastiche Bavarian log cabin. So, working from scratch alongside the Slovenians, they designed what they are calling urban cottages of the future.

Mosley and Menage wanted to do something radical. To be innovative was their goal, and sustainability was part of that. The two individual designs, the two-bed Black House and the slightly larger White House are wooden clad, come with curved walls, atriums and terraces, and have a striking, organic-looking exterior that gives a taste of the radical design within.

Neighbours say it's hard to believe that such innovative houses were actually prefabricated in a factory in Slovenia. And, after arriving in five lorries, the shell of the house was assembled in just five days. Then the couple got to work on the finishes. It could've been quicker and cheaper, but they had original ideas such as the mottled plaster work and resin floor, so it took several months.

Several features allow the houses to claim green credentials. Firstly, the construction - as well as being quicker, building off site is better for the local environment. Secondly, in the use of wood - according to panel suppliers RIKO, wood is the most energy-efficient of all construction materials. Five hundred kilowatt hours are needed to produce a single cubic metre of steel, 200 kWh are needed for concrete, but only 30 kWh are used for timber. And the scandinavian forests are managed sustainably.

The houses are also energy efficient, because the wooden walls are good insulators, as well as absorbing and slowly releasing the heat produced by the efficient under-floor heating system, so the boiler is used for much short periods.

The need for summer cooling will be reduced by a well insulated green roof which is covered in sedums. This system also helps with drainage issues as it absorbs rainwater, releasing it slowly and lessening the risk of flash flooding. Visible from the terrace, the living roof also provides some welcome greenery in the city environment.

Before they were officially for sale the owners allowed visitors in for an Open House day. A staggering 1,200 people came for a look. Now the houses are finally on the market competition looks likely to be fierce.

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