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Prototype 'EcoSphere' For Greenham Common

Posted: 13/06/2005

The ex USAF Base near Newbury, Berkshire will see the first 'EcoSphere' Sustainable House of the future. Sustainable Developments Ltd has secured planning permission to build the first prototype 'EcoSphere' dubbed 'the house of the future'. The EcoSphere will be built on the former USAF base at Greenham Common, now a business park, near Newbury in Berkshire and will ultimately be utilised as a visitor's centre and waiting room for the proposed Newbury South, park-and-ride scheme.

Based on the geodesic sphere, a design conceived by American Architect Buckminster-Fuller circa 1920, the design of the EcoSphere is such that it will be built using only sustainable materials and fuelled only by renewable energies. The construction of the prototype EcoSphere (Registered European Design No: 73804-0001) will consist of a plywood and insulation sandwich of facet panels glued together covered with weatherproof membrane of seamless cold applied fibreglass. The triangular shaped panels and other components will be manufactured off-site with only the assembly of such, taking place in-situ, to demonstrate the ease and speed of erection of the building. The whole building will revolve, allowing preferred rooms to face the sunlight.

This first EcoSphere will offer two floors totalling 122 square metres of space. The ground floor providing the waiting area and visitor centre, showing the possibilities this sustainable building has to offer, while the first floor will be used as offices, monitoring the performance of the building and promoting its concept. Sustainable Developments Ltd is also liasing closely with the Thames Valley Renewable Energy Agency part of a DTI funded £1.6m Community Renewables initiative. Manufacturing of the component parts is due to start this summer with construction of the building taking place later this year.

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