- Architecture
- Masterplanning
- Urban Design
- Landscape Architecture
- Interior Design
- Town Planning
- Project Management
- Environmental Services
St Matthews
Date: 2005
A key worker flat scheme
Client: Presentation Housing Association
St Matthew’s Estate in Brixton is an exemplar project for Presentation Housing Association and the first scheme developed by PRP Architects and Bill Dunster Architects join venture, PRP ZedFactor. Providing 12 spacious key worker apartments, St Matthews could be said to embody the aims of marrying Bill Dunster’s pioneering environmental principles with PRP’s commercial expertise. The outcome is an attractive, highly marketable scheme with projected heating bills of only £75 per annum.
The remarkable heating bills are the result of adopting a zero heating standard. All internal space heating comes from the sun and from residents’ normal use of household appliances. This is made possible by the massive-built, airtight building and very high insulation which ensures superb thermal protection and energy efficiency at little extra build cost. Roof-fitted solar panels and thermal tubes provide hot water and are supplemented in the winter by a wood pellet-burning boiler using non-fossil renewable fuel. This is projected to need refuelling only once every two years.
Many of the energy efficiency measures make for very desirable living too. All living rooms face south and have large windows and direct access to attractive south-facing winter gardens and balconies. Other environmental measures include rainwater harvesting for watering of gardens and sedum roof covering to encourage urban wildlife. The scheme is designed to be upgradeable to full ZED standards as costs of key components fall.
We believe that St Matthews provides an exciting model for the future. It proves that energy efficient living need not be confined to enthusiasts. Housing associations can provide environmentally friendly homes with low heating bills at little extra cost. And developers can realise excellent returns from attractive, desirable apartments with the extra marketing twist of remarkably low running costs.