Nightingale Estate, Hackney, London
The Millennium Plus project which is being developed by Southern Housing Group and built by Countryside Properties is one of the earliest pioneers of modern methods of construction. It uses the Dutch Tunnel Form of Construction with prefabricated external wall and roof panels.
The project will provide circa 1,000 new mixed tenure homes over 11 phases. In conjunction with extensive levels of resident participation this development has set new construction standards and methods of procurement. Each home benefits from increased space standards, an "open building" design, "rooms in the roof" and high levels of noise and thermal insulation. There are also significant reductions in water consumption, reduction in CO2 emissions, the use of sustainable and recyclable materials and a focus on reducing defects and waste during construction. These combined benefits have seen significant improvements in resident comfort and reductions in utility bills.
The community have benefited greatly from the regeneration including access to a Community Development Fund which was set up by Southern Housing Foundation, part of Southern Housing Group, and Countryside Properties at the beginning of the project.
One such project that has been supported by this fund is the Hackney Recycling Partnership. The purpose of the partnership is to encourage and support community wide recycling to deliver a sustainable quantity of biodegradable material for reprocessing.
The project is community led and through its sustainable operational processes and services it will ensure the project is a long term materials reprocessing provider. It has resulted in the growth in both recycling and reprocessing whilst improving environmental performance. It has also led to the creation of new jobs with the project employing 11 members of staff, 6 of whom are full time, and the prospect of additional staff in due course. It has grown to become the borough's largest recycling partnership handling more than 400 tonnes of park waste alone.
Partners
- Southern Housing Group
- Countryside Properties
Consultants
- Architects: Watkins Grey International
- Employers Agent: Philip Pank Partnership
- Structural/Civil Engineer: Brand Leonard