What if you could design a home from the ground up to be a response to climate change? This question is at the forefront of developers Citu’s guiding philosophy. Climate Innovation District, currently under construction as part of the Leeds South Bank development one of the largest revitalisation projects in Europe. The district will be the first time new houses have been built in Leeds City Centre in over 90 years.

Areas with lofty names like  ‘The Secret Garden’ and ‘Solar Avenue’ belie just as towering goals, this development is the biggest urban sustainable development in the UK, a £250 million project. Citu will be providing further details of their plans at the Building Zero Carbon Britain conference in London. Fully embracing MMC, the 516 homes will all be modular based housing, taking inspiration from Scandanvian urbanism and designed by the Swedish Architecture firm White Arkitekter. Built in a cutting edge low carbon house manufacturing plant, currently capable of building up to 750 homes a year.  The frames are constructed from sustainably-sourced timber, a carbon negative material and more efficient insulator than brick. 14 houses have been already released, the rest of the project is due to be finished by 2022. [emaillocker id=”71749″]

Embracing both the metropolis and the natural, Citu are creating an integrated living space, which does not negate one or the other. Half of the development will be green space, and it is being constructed on the banks of the River Aire. The houses are outfitted with green roofs and green surfaces. The roofs are covered in the herb Sedum Acre, which is a natural insulator, a habitat for pollinating insects, reduces the urban heat island effect and cleans the air of particulates. Houses on Solar Avenue will also feature a roof terrace, enabling picturesque views of the city. The district will also feature a timber deck walkway leading a shared green space.  

The development is designed to enable a holistic approach to green development. The city centre location was deliberately chosen to allow residents to take carbon neutral transport options, being close to schools, healthcare facilities, offices and a manufacturing plant. Bike storage is provided in the Climate District. Car parking spots in the new development all feature electric charging facilities and the Secret Garden is a car-free zone. 

The houses use rooftop solar panels, producing an average of 1333 Kwh in power generation. Solar panels allow the houses to often be self-sufficient, with power being shared across the development, with smart systems selling the excess to the grid to maintain the panels. The energy requirements for the homes are 7 to 10 times lower than that of the average UK home, being at the absolute pinnacle of energy efficiency.

Citu have also invested in the infrastructure to support the new construction, building a £1.5 million bridge across the Aire to improve pedestrian access. The bridge supports part of Leeds City Council’s £40 million heat network expansion and the wider regeneration of the area. The development has also secured a £7.7 million loan from the Leeds City Region’s Revolving Investment Fund.   

Research by Leeds Beckett University and the University of Leeds has aided technological development for the Climate District. Each home will feature a preinstalled smart energy system, through the Acutate app, removing the need for costly refits. Light wells from ground floor to the second floor ceiling to the ground floor increase natural light, reducing the need for artificial lighting. Rainwater and stormwater is collected as part of a sustainable drainage system.

Perhaps the greatest innovation of the project is the Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery system (MVHR) system, which retains more than 90% heat in cycling air in and out. The system also filters the air, removing particulates and contaminants, with Citu claiming the system makes the air cleaner than the Welsh hills. This system is supported by triple glazed windows, a building frame 10 times more airtight than required by building regulations, half of the requirements for thermal transmissions of roofs and a third of walls. This system of heat retention is so efficient that the buildings entirely eschew traditional central heating. 

Citu is also creating not just homes, but a community. When the development is finished, every resident will become a member of a community interest company, which will help manage the neighbourhood and bring people together. The network of green spaces and the leisure opportunities afforded by the waterfront location will provide focal points for community activity. 

The district represents a vision of a bold future, and shows how the constraints of having to build to overcome the difficulties faced by an environmental crisis can make quality of life better overall. If Citu’s climate district becomes a model for other developers, we can all breathe easier about the future of housing.  [/emaillocker]