7 September 2012
Co-housing group members in Leeds have been preparing straw bale panels for their new ‘Ecovillage’ homes.
The group, who are all members of the LILAC (Low Impact Living Affordable Community) Co-Housing Project, are currently building 20 homes on the site of a former primary school in Bramley, Leeds.
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Traditional construction methods
LILAC members set up a ‘flying factory’ in a barn close to their site, working with Bristol-based company, ModCell, using traditional methods to create super-insulated wall panels using straw bales, wooden pegs and prefabricated timber frames. The panels are then rendered with two coats of lime before being transported to the site where they are craned into position and receive a finishing layer of lime render.
Affordable homes
The project comprises of 20 affordable homes ranging from 6 one-bedroom apartments, right up to 2 four-bedroom family homes, together with a ‘common house’ – a shared space for eating and meeting, a laundry, workshop, guest bedrooms and allotments, scheduled for completion by the end of 2012.
Members pay an initial deposit according to the build cost and then around 35% of their net income to lease their homes from the Mutual Home Ownership Scheme.
LILAC member, Fran Lee, said: “Our group ranges in age from a new-born right up to people in their seventies and we hope that what we’re doing here not only inspires others to do the same, but also helps to ensure that city housing remains affordable in the future”.
For more information about the project, visit www.lilac.coop
