Primrose Hill Solar Village

After 6 and a half years of use, the low carbon technologies at Primrose Hill are all working well. Reduced reliance on grid electricity means the service charge is much lower, so the benefits of the technology are being passed on to residents.

Yorkshire Housing

Client Yorkshire Housing
Location Huddersfield
Completion 2006
Cost £7m

Services

RIBA stages 1-6
Feasibility study
Architectural design
Public consultation
Advice on offsite construction

Awards

RICS Awards – Innovation and Design Category (Commendation)
RIBA Awards – Best Buildings in Yorkshire (Highly Commended)
Yorkshire’s Finest Property Awards – Most Innovative Development Plan
Excel Housing Excellence Awards – Best Affordable Housing Scheme
Built Quality Awards – Best Sustainable Development (West Yorkshire)

Solar Village provides 79 affordable homes on two adjacent brownfield sites in a run down area of Huddersfield.

The scheme comprises 31 three and four-bed family houses arranged in two saw-tooth terraces, and 48 units housed in a three-storey apartment building. The apartment building has a crescent configuration and overlooks a private central courtyard with a sheltered south-facing garden area.

Larch timber cladding gives a warm and natural feel to the exterior of the buildings, and is complemented by timber windows and rendering.

All dwellings benefit from photovoltaic panels to generate electricity, and solar panels to preheat hot water. The design of the houses allow the panels to be orientated southwards for optimum efficiency. Carbon dioxide emissions were minimised with the installation of the solar and pv panels, low energy light fittings, natural ventilation and gas combination boilers.