Mainstream green: Brighton belle

On 7 May, Brighton elected the UK’s first ever Green MP. An 8.4% swing from Labour saw Caroline Lucas triumph in the Brighton Pavilion constituency with a majority of 1,252.
But Lucas isn’t the only green vote winner in Brighton. A new zero-carbon residential scheme designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley has also won the approval of a large chunk of Brighton’s electorate.

Apartments at the 172-unit One Brighton scheme have sold so quickly that developer BioRegional Quintain has instructed contractor Denne to bring forward the completion of the final phase from August to June.

But unlike the MP’s campaign, One Brighton doesn’t scream green and there’s no equivalent of a party activist shouting eco-credentials through a loud hailer. Potential buyers won’t see wind turbines, photovoltaics or solar panels, just a modern apartment with high kerb appeal and stunning views over Brighton and the South Downs.

In fact, the scheme looks like a regular modern apartment complex, albeit a very refined one. The two blocks - named Brighton Belle and Pullman Haul in honour of nearby Brighton station - range from nine to 11 storeys. Affordable housing makes up 31% of the scheme, with 1,134m2 of offices and 929m2 of community space. The white rendered facade is punctuated by timber balconies and rooftop gardens, and three interconnected courtyards provide more planting area.

One Brighton’s low green profile is particularly surprising when you consider that the sustainability charity BioRegional was previously involved in BedZed, the original zero-carbon development in Sutton, London where green technology, such as the colourful wind cowls drawing in fresh air, was designed to make a clear visual statement about green living.

The technology

The mainstream appeal of One Brighton is part of the philosophy of BioRegional Quintain’s managing director and co-founder Pete Halsall (see box Building a Sustainable Communities Business).

Halsall believes that to make sustainable housing work you need large schemes, which require “developers with big pockets”.

Quintain and Crest, who pumped £25m into One Brighton, were never going to invest in a risky project, says Halsall. He believes that making zero-carbon schemes attractive to investors is about using technology that’s not going to throw up unexpected costs (see box Tried and tested technologies).

“I love BedZed dearly, but I didn’t think it was replicable. One of the things we learned from it was: don’t use anything that hasn’t been tried and tested,” says Halsall, who draws attention to the problems BedZed had with a new biomass boiler system which become clogged with tar when wood chips were burnt.

By contrast, this time Halsall specified a Austrian biomass boiler system which had a proven, 20-year track record. “Crest were unsure about using a biomass boiler until I took them to Austria six years ago to see the boilers in operation,” says Halsall.

In many ways, the path from BedZed to One Brighton reflects the way the Code for Sustainable Homes has developed. The first incarnation of the code required all power to be generated on site. In its latest incarnation the code is likely to allow 30% of a scheme’s carbon emissions to be mitigated by off-site energy sources. This fits in with Halsall’s philosophy and approach to One Brighton. “I want to build sustainably through recognition of interdependence,” he says. “We really do need to rely on others to become sustainable.”

For Halsall, this means buying in off-site renewable energy if it’s more cost effective. He is firm that this is the way forward for the industry and splits his sustainability peers into those who accept interdependence and those who are intent on creating all energy “autonomously” through on-site renewables. “BedZed tried to do it all on site. If you do that, the development becomes unviable,” he warns.

It is a strong message to the new government as Halsall reckons allowing just 30% of a scheme’s emissions to be mitigated off site isn’t enough. Some 50% of One Brighton’s
energy needs are met from off-site sources.

“We don’t think the [current definition of zero carbon] arrangements are workable,” he says, “so we haven’t invested the time to see how One Brighton compares with that.”

“There is a logic to uncoupling the generation of electrical energy from developments,” says Halsall. “Renewable electrical energy comes from wind farms and there’s not enough wind power to harvest on most schemes. Turbines should be in windy places, connected to the National Grid.”

Halsall says generating heat on site using proven biomass technology makes more sense. “We don’t have the urban infrastructure to transport heat and there is the difficulty of heat loss.” (See box Tried and tested technologies.)

Extra reassurance for investors is provided with the inclusion of a backup conventional gas boiler. “We knew Crest were nervous with the biomass so, unsolicited, we said there would be a back-up boiler. It would be silly not to. You might have another cold winter, as in 1963, where you couldn’t get lorries on site [delivering wood chips] for three weeks.”

“I’m a system engineer so I always look to have a plan B if plan A fails,” says Halsall. “People who think of sustainability autonomously will wonder whether they can have a back-up boiler.”

The people

BioRegional approached One Brighton with a green philosophy, which it aimed to make as user-friendly as possible. The development follows BioRegional’s principles of sustainability (see box 10 principles), which emphasise the user experience as much as the technology used. The architect and developer have paid particular attention to soft infrastructure such as sky gardens and community events, which Halsall believes will encourage residents to be more socially active.

Halsall wanted to recreate the sense of communal space he saw in Spanish apartment courtyards, so punched into the block’s facades are two-storey high slots containing covered gardens. “These sky gardens have blurred the lines between flat and garden living,” he says.

There is also a roof garden and a rooftop allotment with 28 small plots, which adheres to BioRegional’s principle of providing local food. Halsall wanted a restaurant on site providing locally sourced produce, but none were willing to risk trading away from the restaurant strip in the nearby, popular North Laines district. Green caretaker Peter Commane provides a human contact and reminds residents of the eco-benefits they can achieve from their building. He handles food delivery boxes, distributes compost generated from recycled waste and ensures that allotments stay weed free - a polite letter warns residents they will lose their allotments if they let their plots go to seed.

The legacy

Halsall is adamant that a sense of community will continue to thrive once BioRegional Quintain has left the site. He will create a cafe for residents and is hosting communal events. “We are teaching people how to use the spaces and we’re going to run a poetry and storytelling event.” No music or barbeques, though. “We want the spaces to be quiet and contemplative.”

More importantly, BioRegional Quintain has put in place an Energy Services Company (ESCO) to manage the energy generation equipment on site and to bulk purchase certified electricity from renewable energy sources. The ESCO will be run for two years at least.

It will also maintain one energy icon that can only be seen from the roof garden - photovoltaic panels. Halsall is almost apologetic about their inclusion. “They don’t really do much. It’s really symbolic - just so people know that this is a sustainable building.” Which sums up Halsall’s attitude to green building - high on proven technologies and interdependence, low on
go-it-alone green bling.

BioRegional’s 10 principles of sustainabililty

Building a sustainable communities business

What the residents say

Project team

Tried and tested technologies