Luxury living does not have to cost the earth

A new demonstration house that showcases state-of-the-art energy efficiency and recycling has been built on the BRE Innovation Park at Ravenscraig in Lanarkshire. The three-bedroom house is one of the first projects of the Scottish government’s Resource Efficient Scotland programme, managed by Zero Waste Scotland, and built in partnership with Tigh Grian.

The home demonstrates how the latest principles in resource efficiency and waste reduction can be applied in house-building. Currently an average three-bedroom home built in Scotland can produce as much as 13 tonnes of construction waste, costing up to £500 per unit. The Resource Efficient House produced less than five tonnes of construction waste, with less than one tonne going to landfill.

As well as facilitating sustainable living for occupants, the design of the house will ensure maximum recycling and re-use of products at the end of its life. Even the wall insulation can be recycled after deconstruction. Other elements have already been recycled. Kitchen work surfaces made from material reprocessed from recycled coffee cups; recycled paint for the décor; and kitchen bar stools made from reclaimed wood from whisky barrels. The lighting, heating and water conservation measures that are designed to make it highly energy efficient with reduced fuel consumption.

For all of us in the Construction Industry it is important we look for innovative ways to reduce our impact on the environment and there is a lot we can learn from this project, especially in terms of the waste that house building can produce.  This approach  can also provides our clients with an affordable build and living cost while ensuring our homes have more  ‘green’ credentials.  Luxury living does not have to cost the earth.