A Lathams-designed sustainable social housing scheme been completed on the Lunt Estate in Bilston, Wolverhampton.
The £4.8m scheme by Heantun Housing Association has been designed to regenerate the Lunt Estate and surrounding areas.
The 44 new houses have features including roof-mounted solar thermal panels and mechanical ventilation and heat recovery systems. They have all been built with a highly insulated timber frame, with external skins of brick and weatherboard. They feature Wolverhampton red brick and contextual references to the existing housing stock in order to reflect the local character.
Lathams director Chris Twomey said: “Our initial feasibility study identified a range of physical complications on the estate – firstly topographical issues with multiple levels across the site, and then below ground problems with former mine workings and a diverted sewer.
“But as well as the careful planning of 44 new sustainable homes across this challenging site, we also needed to be mindful that a key requirement for this scheme is the social impact of development.
“That is why the creation of new areas of public realm and shared amenity spaces - including opportunities for residents to grow their own food - have been so integral to the scheme.”
All 44 houses have been built by main contractor Thomas Vale Construction. During the Project, Thomas Vale, Heantun Housing Association and Training Skills were able to offer several training opportunities for six months, giving just under 5,000 hours of hands on experience on site.
Ian Cox, Director of Housing New Build at Thomas Vale Construction commented: “We were delighted to have worked with Latham Architects, Heantun Housing Association and Future skills on this scheme. We are pleased with how well Phase 1 has gone, and the training opportunities we have been able to offer. We look forward to working with all again in the near future.”
