BedZED-Case-Study-Report Housing-Corporation Bioregional 2002

Beddington Zero
Energy Development
Case Study Report
Produced for the Housing Corportion
by BioRegional Development Group
December 2002

Contents
1
Introduction 1
Sustainable 3
Communities
Sustainable 6
Buildings
Conclusions 10
Checklist 12
Our planetary means
If everyone on the planet consumed as much as the average person in the UK,
we'd need three planets to support us.1
It takes around 6.3 hectares of biologically productive land to support each
person in the UK, whereas the actual available productive area on Earth is only
2.2 hectares per person. This footprint includes the amount of forest required to
absorb the CO2emissions attributed to a person's lifestyle and activities.
Ecological footprinting informs us that the UK needs to reduce its consumption
of fossil fuels and virgin materials by two-thirds to live within the means of one
planet. To achieve this reduction we must develop sustainable ways of living.
Only by meeting more of our everyday needs from local, renewable and
reclaimed resources can we hope to achieve this target.
The role of construction
Over half of all of the resources consumed across the world are used in the
construction and running of buildings. 5% of energy generated globally is used
to construct buildings and 45% is used to heat, light and ventilate them.2
Addressing the environmental sustainability of the construction and occupancy
of buildings is fundamental to meeting our two-thirds eco-footprint reduction
target. However, for a development to be truly sustainable it must offer more
than reduced environmental impact alone. Developments must address the
social amenity, creating sustainable communities with spaces people want to live
and work in. Developments must also offer financially sustainable solutions
which are viable within a market economy.
The importance of housing
The environmental, social and financial issues surrounding sustainable
development are particularly important in the housing sector. Housing
contributes approximately 27% of all CO2emissions in the UK.3
The Government's National Strategy for Sustainable Development sets out 10
key principles and 147 indicators to measure progress towards achieving their
sustainable development objectives. 70 of these indicators can be linked to
housing and community issues, illustrating the importance of housing to
sustainability.
The Housing Corporation's approach
The Housing Corporation is committed to integrating Government policy on
sustainable development into its ethos. The Corporation aims to provide a better
quality of life for residents by encouraging housing associations to adopt
sustainable development principles.
The Housing Corporation invests in and regulates a sector that owns and
manages more than 1.45 million homes (approximately 7% of total English
Introduction
A typical UK lifestyle has an ecological footprint
of 6.3 hectares per person. To meet our
environmentally sustainable target and live
within our planet's capacity we need to reduce
this to 2.2 hectares.
If everyone on the planet consumed
as much as the average person in
the UK, we'd need three planets to
support us
Building at higher densities on
previously used sites will reduce the
number of homes which need to be
built on greenfield sites
BedZED Case Study Report
CONTENTS / INTRODUCTION

2
housing stock) , housing at least twice that number people. If investment levels
are maintained and the transfer of former local authority stock continues,
housing associations will own and manage around 4 million homes in 10 years
time. This would make the sector the largest provider of social housing in
England. Housing associations are already the largest provider of new social
housing.
The Corporation expects housing associations to foster environmental, economic
and social sustainability issues, as indicated in their strategy document, Building
on Success (2001-04). Tools to help associations do this are being developed with
the support of the Innovation and Good Practice Unit at the Housing
Corporation.
This leaflet introduces the BedZED development as a case study to show how
sustainable development can be achieved by social housing providers. The leaflet
is targeted at housing association staff involved in development, investment and
refurbishment in relation to social housing provision. Environmentally sustainable
design and investment in energy efficiency can reduce running costs for tenants
with any extra initial capital costs being recouped through lifecycle savings.
Introduction to BedZED
Beddington Zero (fossil) Energy Development or BedZED, is the UK's largest eco-
village. The development was designed by architect Bill Dunster and developed
by the Peabody Trust. The BioRegional Development Group was instrumental in
locating the site, and worked with the design team to source construction
materials and provide 'green' lifestyle services. Together we are showing how
green living is a real, attractive and affordable option. Energy efficiency,
renewable energy and water conservation are successfully integrated with a car
club and local organic food deliveries.
BedZED comprises 82 homes, office space and live-work units. The village has a
mix of social housing, shared ownership, key-worker homes and private houses
for sale at prices comparable to more conventional homes in the area. It is
designed for a comfortable, yet highly resource-efficient way of life. The
development strives to achieve environmental, social and economic sustainability.
Foundations for the future, a guide on sustainable design funded by the Housing
Corporation (published September 2002), promotes sustainability in social housing
through reference to three main themes: Sustainable communities, sustainable
tenancies and sustainable buildings. In this document, we introduce BedZED using
these themes and refer to the checklists for sustainability associated with each
theme. Issues relating to sustainable tenancies (including terms of tenancies and
quality and landlords services etc.) are discussed in this leaflet, but do not directly
relate to the work of BioRegional at BedZED and hence do not have their own
distinct section.
Investment in energy efficient
homes helps to reduce fuel poverty
by cutting running costs for tenants
The village square at BedZED. A
place for chance meetings and social
interaction on the mixed-use,
mixed-tenure development
BedZED comprises 82 homes, office
space and live-work units. It is the
UK's largest eco-village.
BedZED targets
●Environmental: low energy and renewable fuel, including biomass combined heat and power
(CHP) and photovoltaics (PV), zero net carbon emissions, integrated water conservation strategies, reclaimed
materials, Green Travel Plan, and biodiversity measures.
●Social: mixed tenure, two-thirds affordable or social housing, lower fuel and water costs,
community space, sports pitch, child-care facilities, 'village square', private gardens for most units.
●Economic: Locally sourced materials, workspace for local employment and enterprise, locally available renewable
energy resources.

3
Mixed-use development
Sustainable development planning is often misrepresented as
simply an exercise in low energy design, it is as much a
question of creating sustainable mixed communities. It is
insufficient for a development to contribute towards
reductions in global CO2emissions, if residents feel excluded
and isolated, suffer from poor health, will not go out for fear
of crime, and have nowhere to meet their friends or watch
their children play in safety. Mixed-use development, of
residential, commercial and community space, is pivotal to
achieving integrated and successful communities with reduced
car dependence.
A mixed-use development will not be deserted as purely
residential areas are during the day and commercial areas are
in the evenings and at weekends. This helps ensure self-
policing and increased security for both individuals and
premises. Providing live-work units and commercial space
offers the opportunity to work locally and a stress-reducing
alternative to commuting with the associated time and
environmental impact savings. Mixed-use developments can
also provide an increased sense of community resulting from
the layering and interaction of different activities and
occupation patterns. Building mixed-use developments at high
densities can also reduce the need to develop greenfield sites.
In addition to having residential, live-work and commercial
units, providing community facilities is important to creating
and maintaining sustainable communities.
On site, units have been earmarked to accommodate a
childcare facility and a doctor's surgery. Communal space is
provided by a sports pitch with clubhouse and a multi-purpose
space which currently houses the BedZED exhibition and is
regularly used for community events. A village square with
native trees and seating lies at the heart of the development,
forming part of the pedestrian route through the site.
Transport and Traffic
The main aim of a sustainable attitude towards transport is to
reduce the need to travel. This must be complemented by the
provision of alternative sustainable modes of travel with lower
associated CO2emissions than private car use. Calculations
from BedZED suggest that a 50% reduction in fossil fuel
consumption through car use can be achieved through a
combination of public transport, using car clubs, walking
and cycling.
Strategies for achieving this target are outlined in a Green
Travel Plan which the Peabody Trust has committed to as a
legal obligation under the planning agreement.
Reducing the need to travel
By providing employment opportunities and on-site facilities as
part of a mixed-use development, the need for personal travel
has been reduced. But, discouraging road journeys for
personal transportation is not the only issue. UK Government
figures show that road haulage accounts for 7% of the UK's
CO2emissions and is the fastest growing source of
greenhouse gases. Agricultural and food freight accounted for
30% of all road freight in 1999.4
To reduce the need to make regular car journeys to the
supermarket, the use of home delivery services from
supermarket chains and local organic food suppliers has been
encouraged. Residents have access to an internet point and
secure storage facilities for unattended deliveries. A typical
household's eco-footprint due to food consumption can be
dramatically reduced by choosing local and organic food.
Sustainable Communities
The development achieves an overall density of 47
homes/hectare. The BedZED core (ZED model)
highlighted in red, achieves 100 homes/hectare
BedZED Case Study Report
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
An enthusiastic BedZED resident could save 0.88
hectares per year on their eco-footprint through
greening their travel habits.