RECYCLED WATER TO FLUSH YOUR LOO, SOLAR PANELS TO HEAT YOUR SHOWER AND ENERGY SHARING ACROSS HOMES AND THAT'S JUST FOR STARTERS ...

Green living can be victim to having a certain image attached but never has it been cooler as Britain’s most pioneering low carbon development opens its doors. Greenhouse in Leeds unveils how the combination of technology, the harnessing natural resources, and huge attention to detail, has ensured the end result is a true homage to working with the environment.

After 3 years of intensive design and development comes the very real, very accessible opportunity for Leeds residents to live the green lifestyle, in a modern, contemporary environment.

Every little detail has been considered from the selection of sustainable materials, to the lifestyle on offer to the residents.
Tours of the development will reveal what lies beneath Greenhouse....

Working with nature
A fundamental resource is the 80m deep borehole that's used to tap into water underground. This water is constantly at 12 degrees which cools the building in the summer and heats the water in the winter which translates into huge energy savings for residents
Funky looking wind turbines on the roof generate energy for the shared facilities such as communal lighting and lifts
An array of solar panels are used to heat the hot water used across the development
Filters collect rain water from the roof and balconies that is then used for flushing toilets and for the washing machines

As well as having considered how to source energy, Greenhouse is also very clever at recycling it. A heat exchange system allows excess heat to be transferred from apartments and offices that don't need it to those who do. This system also stores excess energy generated from the offices during the day, and transfers it for use in heating water for the residents who return home later that evening. The same system is used for both cooling and heating – and runs throughout the building via a network of heat pipes. Nowhere in Greenhouse will you see a radiator or storage heater!

What about the apartments?
Solid bamboo flooring and hand crafted work surfaces have been selected as the bamboo plant is fully matured within 7 years (rather than Oak's 50 years). Cut out from the over hobs were reused to create chopping boards that double neatly as a sink cover
All British manufactured kitchens were built onsite by local tradesmen
Water is collected from the basins and showers and recycled for flushing toilets
All homes have been highly insulated creating a tight, super efficient building envelope which retains heat in the winter and keeps the building cool in the summer
Water efficient rainhead showers have been used that provide the same power show experience but using less water
All appliances are A or A+ rated
Recycled plastic is used for the numbers on the doors
100% British wool carpets with recycled underlay

The energy savings that can be made thanks to the overall commitment to sustainability and green living produces some impressive stats, with up to 3 Olympic swimming pools of water being saved a year by using recycled water to flush loos and each home saving over 1 tonne of CO2 per year. The carbon emissions for Greenhouse are 65% less than the current government target.

What does all that mean to the residents?
For residents this means on average 60% cheaper energy bills, than an average new build home and it's been made easy for them to live a greener, more sustainable lifestyle as the hard work has already been done. It's also simple to monitor energy usage for each resident as each room has it's own personalised energy tracking system, accessible via the TV so residents can view their water and electricity consumption on an ongoing basis.

With additional facilities such as the free onsite gym, onsite deli, community car clubs and shared allotments Greenhouse also provides options for residents passionate about living a life that helps reduce their carbon footprint.
Citu's Commitment
Fraser Stride, Marketing Director at Citu, the developers behind Greenhouse, said: “This property proves that gone are the days when going eco meant you had to do without – we're all about making it easier for people to live a sustainable life. It's the blend of technology and use of natural resources that makes this development really work. A huge challenge was to reduce energy consumption but increase the standard of living – and this made it a very exciting project”

Chris Thompson of Citu added: “As developers this has not been the cheapest way to build, but it's not all about profit for us. We have set out to build a sustainable development at Greenhouse, not just in the materials that we've used but with the whole ethos of the development. Sustainability has been designed into Greenhouse, from the ground up. It's not a bolt on or afterthought, it's green blood flowing through the building.”

Created to be accessible to everyone from first time buyers, to city workers, to families, ranging from studios priced at £59K all the way up to 3 bedroom homes with extensive roof terraces also available at £230K.

You can join Greenhouse on facebook.com/greenhouseleeds.

Greenhouse is comprised of 166 studio, one, two and three bedroom homes, together with 17,000 sq ft of work spaces, an onsite gym and cafe and landscaped courtyard and grounds.

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Notes to Editor
High res images available on request
Greenhouse residents are available for interview
Fraser Stride is available for interview pre-event or at the event itself.
Quote from former Manager of Shaftsbury House “It is fitting that Shaftsbury House offered flagship accommodation when it opened in 1939 and that 70 years on Citu's redevelopment into Greenhouse will once again see it as a flagship development”.

For more information please contact:
Helen MacGregor
Chocolate PR
0113 236 1835
helen@chocolatepr.co.uk

DOORS OPEN TO BRITAIN'S GREENEST HIGH-TECH HOMES