This is an urban co-housing permaculture project, aimed at meeting a growing niche demand in the housing market. The proposal is an opt-in community for people who want to take the next step in sustainable modern living. The social ecology is organised through the collective ownership and management of a community freehold, with private leaseholds for dwellings.

There are shared car pools, rather than private car ownership, and instead of roads a network of cycle routes and footpaths crosses the site. There is an ecology of green spaces, and homes are clustered in groups of 20 units, around a park and shared facilities, like a club with places to work, eat and meet. Each cluster of houses overlooks shared gardens, organic food growing and playground spaces. Individual homes are organised around private courtyard gardens, which are treated as external living rooms.

The different clusters have different characteristics and identities and cater for different groups. For example, there would be clusters aimed at young people or single professionals, while others might be mainly for families.

Each cluster harvests rainwater for home wc use, and recycles grey water through reed beds for use on gardens and allotments. Each cluster aims to be energy autonomous. Although energy solutions will depend on the characteristics of the site, the solution is likely to be based on a mix of shared cluster combined heat and power, supplemented by some dwelling-specific technologies. If a stand-alone test house is produced, the design allows for solar water heating, supplemented with a wood chip boiler and secondary wood fire. If possible electricity would be generated through photovoltaics or wind technologies. Composting toilets are specified to provide fertiliser for gardens.

Construction would be managed and procured by the community, and could use a range of eco-materials and techniques including:

• rammed earth construction or compressed earth blocks
• vernacular materials such as brick chimneys and fireplaces
• prefabricated elements such as modules for high technology areas such as bathrooms, kitchens and media walls, and carbon capturing structural timber panels

The house would emit 0.5 tonnes of CO2 a year, and is well within Code for Sustainable Homes level 4.

The three main messages the architects want to communicate about The Good Life Social Ecology are:

• it is a positive lifestyle, improving choice for people who want to make positive change
• it helps young people onto the property ladder by allowing them to join and build up a deposit through rent and community work
• it future proofs members against instability in energy, food and water prices and availability.

© British Homes Awards |  Site design: LW design