Forgebank – Environmental cohousing project

Jan Maskell

Director of Process

 Lancaster Cohousing

 

Forgebank

• What is environmental cohousing?

• A little history...

• Main aspects of our project

What is environmental cohousing?• Eco-homes

– Low environmental impact during both building and use; long life-span

– Using standards such as Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) and/or ‘PassivHaus’

• Cohousing – Private homes (smaller than average)– Communal facilities, including ‘common

house’

A little history...

Ecoarc

• Award winning chartered architects committed to sustainable design

• Specialising in carbon neutral ecological architecture, eco building and sustainable design

Halton site

Main Project Features

• 41 eco-homes– 35 within cohousing group; 6 at edge of site– Super-insulated; use of renewable energy

• Office and workshop space

• Communal facilities– Shared indoor and outdoor space

• Travel plan

• Inclusive organisational structure

• Community links

Eco-Houses• Built to ‘PassivHaus’ standard

– South-facing to maximise solar energy input– Super-insulated, including triple-glazing– 90% less energy consumption than average UK

house– Airtight and sealed to retain heat

• Materials (for example)– Walls: recycled concrete blocks; cavity filled with

recycled glass-wool– Roofs: clay tiles; wood insulation– Wood from sustainable sources

Renewable energy

• Low energy consumption to be met through:– Hydro-electric generator (separate project)– Solar photo-voltaic panels – Wood chip boiler and solar thermal panels

for hot water and heating– Some dependent on government funding

Workspace

• Existing ‘Mill’ building– Allows residents and other local people to

work close to home– Energy efficiency improvements

• 15 offices/ studios/ workshops

Indoor communal facilities

• Common house– Shared vegetarian meals several times a week– General social space

• Guest rooms– Allows residents to opt for smaller houses

• Laundry

• Children’s room

• Storage for food, bikes etc

Outdoor communal facilities

• 6 acre site

• Food growing areas

• Woodland and areas for wildlife

• Leisure uses

Travel Plan

• Aim: To reduce travel and prioritise environmentally-friendly options

• Workspace close by

• Facilities to support cycling, walking, use of public transport

• Car share scheme– Approx 1 car per 3 households– Cars at edge of site

Inclusive organisational structure

• Not-for-profit company– All households are members

• Consensus decision-making processes– Monthly General Meetings

• 7 Directors oversee the project– Project manager + professional team– All members contribute 2-3 hours a week

to communal work

Community links

• Part of Halton Carbon Positive

• Ongoing links with Parish Council and Community Centre

• Potential for local employment in Mill offices/ workshops

Who is in the project?

• Mixture of Lancaster residents and people from further afield

• Ages from 2 months to retired

• Range of backgrounds

Organisational Structure

Where have we got to? Lancaster Cohousing

 Where have we got to?

• Land purchased July 2009• Planning docs prep Oct – March 2010• Planning permission July 2010• Prepare tender docs June – July 2010• Preferred contractor decided Sept 2010• Working drawings developed Sept - Dec 2010• Contractor pricing works Nov – Dec 2010• Negotiation with contractor Jan 2011• Appoint contractor Feb 2011• Negotiations with the bank Jan 2011 - July 2011• Loan agreed July 2011• Construction began Aug 2011• Leases signed Dec 2011