BedZED
I was watching the Climate Change programme on BBC yesterday and was struck by a development that they featured called BedZED that I had never heard of before. Imagine my surprise when I checked out the website and saw that this is managed by the Peabody Trust, which is the housing association that my mum used to work for (she currently lives on one of their estates)
Although, inevitably, there appears to be trouble in paradise. As this article shows, with so many concepts to maintain out of the mainstream, there is bound to be a list as long as your arm of things that are broken or don't work. It appears that the wood chip fuel system is one thing so all the residents are having to buy gas and electricity from usual suppliers and the reed bed sewage filter system is out of operation too. But I think it's better to try than to carry on building as we have always done.
Labels: bedzed, energy efficient house design, Peabody Trust
posted by Helsalata @ 7:48 am
2 comments
2 Comments:
I find these sort of projects fascinating - I will be picking your brains next time we meet
It might be of some consolation to think such projects to have experimental and symbolic value. Pioneering ideas are often accompanied by a potentially damaging hype and optimism that fails to take into account the evolutionary trial and error process that new technology has to go through before it is perfected. When the hype and failed promises hit reality the new ideas can become blighted and dropped as failures, when in fact all they need is a little development time. A complex project like this that involves the novel integration of many technologies is likely to face many problems resulting of unforeseen ramifications (As you in fact suggest). Apart from the symbolic value of this project, perhaps at least some science has come out it, and that famous evolutionary principle “learn from your mistakes” can be applied. Trouble is, if it was presented as a fait accompli in the first instance even its symbolic value could be compromised.
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