Housing
agency scores a first with design of affordable homes
Press & Journal
24 May 2007
A north-east housing co-operative will
score a Scottish first with a new design of affordable home.
Aberdeen-based Tenants First has teamed
up with construction giant Stewart Milne to create "sustainable and
environmentally sympathetic" accommodation for families and older
people in Peterhead.
The advanced timber frame system reduces
the number of joins in the structure of homes, allowing higher levels of
insulation and a reduced carbon footprint.
It involves using large wooden panels
which are manufactured at Stewart Milne's Aberdeen factory, and arrive on
site with insulation material, doors and windows already in place.
Many of the buildings' roof components
are also built in factory-controlled conditions, and are assembled on the
ground on site before they and the walls are craned into place.
The design features in the 53 new homes
which Tenants First has started building on a former fish factory site in
Peterhead's St Peter Street.
Bill Imlach, managing director of Stewart
Milne Construction, said: "The client was very clear as to the
emphasis on sustainability and the creation of homes which were heading
towards the carbon zero goal.
"We applied state-of-the-art timber
system and construction technology to create a home design that met all
the given criteria, including cost-effectiveness."
Tenants First's chief executive Sandy
Murray said: "We wanted to ensure the design and housing layout
complemented the area and is reminiscent of Peterhead's heritage.
"My aspirations for this residential
development are to create a sense of place and allow the area to evolve
from its industrial past to become a thriving and sustainable
community."
Another feature of the new development is
that the use of cars is secondary to pedestrians. The town houses will
overlook a square and courtyard with play area, open space, seating,
landscaping and a central statue.
