Sustainability and energy efficiency seem to be the buzzwords in our field at the moment and it looks like the focus on energy efficiency and eco friendly housing is here to stay. However, a lot of people are concerned about the affordability of these types of projects, as well as their viability in the real world.
Well a project carried out at Nottingham University should hopefully allay some of these fears. The Creative Energy Homes at its University Park site were designed to allow testing of a variety of modern construction methods.
The project's aim was to stimulate sustainable design ideas and encourage new methods of creating affordable, environmentally sustainable housing that also incorporates innovative design.
One house was created by leading chemical company, BASF, and its purpose was to demonstrate how innovative materials and technology can be used to create homes which are both energy efficient and affordable.
The BASF House was the first of six to be completed and all the houses in the project were created with aesthetics in mind, which we think will help change the often incorrect perceptions many people have about both affordable housing and energy efficient housing being unattractive.
