In this episode, we explore the world of sustainable housing design, highlighting award-winning projects and the innovative strategies driving the industry forward.

Hosts Will Richardson and Charlie Luxton are joined by special guests David Birkbeck, Managing Director of Design for Homes, and Richard Williams, Development Manager at VELUX.

They dive into the highlights from the 2024 Housing Design Awards, the UK’s longest-running awards program celebrating excellence in housing design. Discover how this year’s winning projects are pushing the boundaries of sustainability and community engagement. 

Sustainability in Housing

• Sustainability is now a core aspect of housing design, evolving beyond energy efficiency to include goals like biodiversity and biophilic design, which foster a deeper connection to nature.
• David Birkbeck explains how architectural awards are setting higher standards for daylight, outdoor spaces, and overall liveability, shaping industry practices.

Innovative Housing Projects 

• The Blenheim Estate’s Hill Rise development exemplifies a model that minimises car use and integrates green spaces, creating more pedestrian-friendly streets.
• A new project in Lewes focuses on shared mobility hubs to reduce individual car ownership and improve community spaces.
• Richard highlights the Alkerden Gateway project’s adaptable living spaces and the Appleby Blue Almshouses’ blend of outdoor spaces with community living for seniors.

Environmental Impact and Design Innovations

• Richard discusses the “Living Spaces” project’s success in lowering embodied carbon by using alternative materials and notes Denmark and the Netherlands as leaders in this approach.
• Velux reinvests 90% of its profits into health and environmental research, demonstrating a strong commitment to healthier living environments.

Future of Housing Innovation

• Innovative designs from smaller developers are increasingly being adopted by larger firms, showing a growing acceptance of high-quality, efficient housing solutions.
• Richard and David highlight the rising focus on mental health in housing design, emphasising the benefits of daylight and environmental quality as shown in recent award-winning projects.

Green Element Group is an environmental management consultancy offering a range of bespoke sustainability services, products, and resources to accelerate the just transition to a stable climate. The Group consists of Green Element Limited, Compare Your Footprint Limited, and Sustainability Solved Podcast and Resource Hub.

Find out more about Green Element Group here and benefit from a 20% discount on the first year of subscription to Compare Your Footprint, the highest quality carbon footprint software for your organisation. When registering, click ‘Got a Coupon’ and enter code ‘PODCAST‘ to claim discount. 

A big thank you to our sponsors!

This episode of Sustainability Solved is sponsored by Business Declares, a not-for-profit business network who inspire, encourage, and accelerate action within businesses to address the climate, ecological, and social emergency.

They are an active network of 100+ businesses who back our commitments to reach net-zero, restore and protect nature, and advocate for regulatory change.

Join Business Declares as a member to get help accelerating your action on net-zero targets and on nature targets for your business from the network. Find out more here: Business Declares

Mentioned in this episode:

Apply to become a Green Element Ambassador today!

Earn extra income while being part of a growing community accelerating the sustainable future we all need.

Apply now