Urban Eco – Stylish and sustainable homes in London
According to figures from the Energy Saving Trust, the houses we live in are responsible for over a third of the country's carbon dioxide emissions - a massive proportion of the UK’s contribution of gases that cause climate change. The average UK home is responsible for around six tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year, produced through a variety of avenues such as inefficient heating, lighting, energy consumption by electrical appliances, and inefficient insulation. Developers however are heeding buyers’ calls for more energy-efficient homes, especially in these times of rising energy bills. One developer that has taken a distinctly eco-friendly approach to its latest development has been St. James Urban Living. The company’s Silkworks scheme, located in the London borough of Lewisham, has been augmented with a variety of innovative energy efficient features that help to reduce the development’s and residents’ energy consumption and emissions, in an approach the developer terms “Urban Eco”.
The jewel in the crown of Silkworks’ sustainable features is its District Heating System. A central boiler system will power heating and hot water for all apartments, supplemented by roof-mounted solar panels that will pre-heat water being fed into the central boiler to the required temperature before distribution to the apartments. This provides an annual 10% renewable energy.
The exterior of the development has also been very carefully thought out. For example, Silkworks includes an innovative brown roof which not only provides habitat for local ecosystems, but reduces storm water run off, heat loss from the building in winter, internal building temperature in summer, and energy costs. The external walls, windows, ground floor, and roof, are highly insulated reducing heat loss. In addition the windows of the development use a “Low-E” clear glass with a thin, transparent metal-oxide coating which helps block the transfer of heat into the apartments. All this results in an external envelope that keeps the development warmer in winter and cooler in summer, reducing energy bills and therefore costs to residents.
During construction, St. James Urban Living also thought carefully about how the development process and the building’s materials and structure would affect the environment. To reduce the scheme’s overall impact during construction, a variety of measures including use of HCFC free insulation, sustainable timber sourcing, and recycling of materials already onsite were taken to ensure that the scheme’s negative impact on the environment was reduced. Indeed, Silkworks, like all St James developments, is built on brownfield land, being the former site of a Silk Mill.
Additionally, all of the appliances at Silkworks are A-rated, meaning that the appliance uses less energy to function, giving buyers the immediate benefit of lower bills, supplemented by the use of low energy light fittings and low water use bathroom fittings.
Silkworks has also been designed to allow its residents to make lifestyle changes that are positive to the environment. Full recycling facilities are available onsite for various types of waste. Additionally, car parking has been provided on the development for only 15% of properties to reduce car dependency, especially as the site possesses excellent public transport links to Canary Wharf and The City via nearby Elverson Road and Lewisham DLR stations. Last but not least, cycle spaces have been provided for all apartments, allowing residents to take advantage of access to the nearby cycle network and Blackheath.
Catherine Oliphant, Head of Sales and Marketing for St James Urban Living comments: “The traditional view is that energy efficient and eco-friendly homes demand a premium – at Silkworks, these are eco-friendly homes at a very good price. We have proven that you can take many of those energy efficient features and integrate them into a stylish contemporary building, producing homes that allow buyers to make major running cost savings, while being both elegant and affordable. An approach we like to call ‘Urban Eco.’”
Set in fully landscaped grounds, Silkworks is ideal for first-time buyers, young couples and city executives, comprising a collection of well-appointed and designed apartments within a modern nine-storey building. Interiors have been intelligently designed for today’s modern lifestyle with contemporary kitchens and areas for living and entertaining. Large windows, light and spacious rooms, finishes of the highest order and specifications of an exceptional standard combine to create an apartment at Silkworks.
Prices at Silkworks start from £175,000 for a city suite. To register your interest, log on to Silkworkslondon.co.uk.
