Multi-Generation FlexiVillage

FlexiVillage
Two house types, achieving multiple options

UK POPULATION PREDICTION

The Office of National Statistics’ population prediction for 2051 is about 78 million, and 85 million by 2081. The current UK population is 65 million, so an increase of 13-20 million people has to be housed somewhere. A massive government response is needed to tackle Britain’s housing crisis.

Based on Ebenezer Howard’s garden city population of around 30,000, around 430 to 650 new garden cities will be required to meet future demand. Wherever new garden cities are located, they will have an impact on the towns around them. ConnectedCities is a method of enabling the existing inhabitants of an area to choose how to integrate new development into the existing settlement pattern with the minimum consequences for traffic and carbon emissions.

Government, local authorities and other agencies will have to act immediately to invest in new infrastructure and provide housing.

Buildeco has assembled a formidable team to deliver these future garden cities with fresh thinking and solutions that meet future needs.

VISION

Recent research shows that more of the population is seeking alternative ways of living. People are looking for new ways of raising families, safeguarding clean air, living more healthily, living independently or together, living in retirement, and working remotely from home. Many of them are prepared to move away from cities into new settlements that meet their aspirations. Buildeco’s multi-generation garden FlexiVillage responds with a vision for the future for all ages, genders and cultures.

New ways of finding land and properties, and introducing group members via apps, will become common. Registered app users will be able to coordinate and cross reference between community members.

Multi-generation garden FlexiVillage will become part of the new settlement concept, ConnectedCities. These will be federations of new and existing settlements connected by frequent rail services. Such settlements will be the equivalent of Ebenezer Howard’s social cities, and the sociable cities proposed by Sir Peter Hall and Colin Ward. They will consist of garden villages, separated from one another by green wedges. Served by an existing or new station, each settlement will have a higher-density, pedestrianised core. The whole settlement will accommodate around 30,000 people in a walkable area (a pedshed) of 1km radius.

Buildeco’s flat-pack, pre-fabricated modular construction system will offer accelerated delivery, clean construction, bespoke design and low environmental impact. It is a highly flexible way of providing local employment and educational, commercial and residential spaces and buildings. This system enables the delivery of a range of additional housing models, including co-housing and custom build, all of which can be easily extended in the future.

TRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIP

A skills employment training hub can also be provided within a pedshed employment zone. The hub will promote and encourage the recruitment of women into construction, with a selection of differing roles to choose from in eradicating gender stereotypes.

Additional local jobs and apprenticeship training will benefit the local community and economy while equipping the next generation with technical skills.

DELIVERY BRIEF

FlexiVillages will be located accessibly for public transport, which will encourage walking and cycling, with benefits for health.

The traffic-calmed, tree-lined boulevards incorporate public seating areas and bicycle-parking stands. Covered canopies to the cycleways and walkways ensure all-weather protection, making it easy and comfortable to move around the FlexiVillage. The canopies incorporate clear photovoltaic glass panels that generate green energy, contributing to the running cost of providing LED street lighting, CCTV and the car-charging points. The installation payback period will be around 20 years. Profits gained from the green economy will be reinvested for the benefit of the local community.

DESIGN

Buildeco’s offsite houses allow customers to select their basic entry level home and accessories from a range of internal and external finishes. This makes each home individually tailored to the customer’s requirements, and removes the stigma associated with new developments consisting of identikit boxes.

The external property incorporates an area for refuse storage and lockable bicycle storage.

PARKING

The use of ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) will be encouraged by providing plug-in recharging points at public or private parking spaces.

On-site parking will be provided for householders and on-street parking for visitors (including dedicated parking bays for car-pooling schemes).

GREEN TECHNOLOGY

Renewable green energy options offered to homeowners include photovoltaic panels and ground-source heat pumps, Smart technology connectivity with wireless technology cabling and LED lighting throughout. These all contribute to lower running costs.

ECOLOGY

Ecological diversity is encouraged by planting trees and hedgerows around site perimeters, providing a wildlife habitat. The roof structure will allow for sedum green roofs.

Soft landscaping consists of shrubs in the front garden, and flower beds and a vegetable patch in the rear garden.

Rainwater harvesting can be incorporated to store rainwater runoff and bathroom grey water, which is reused for flushing toilets and watering the garden.

Surface water will be allowed to soak away through permeable surfaces.