Affordable housing for AEOB

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Abolish Empty Office Buildings (AEOB) is a Bristol based not-for-profit organisation whose aim is to rescue redundant workspaces as community based affordable housing. In order to do this, they raised over £280,000 from a community share offer, along with other matched funding and a mortgage with Triodos Bank.

The practice has an ongoing relationship with the group, and worked with them on appraisals of sites and buildings in Bristol. They secured their first site in St George, a former workspace that was renovated and extended to create six affordable flats.

The project provides

  • 3x two-bedroom flats

  • 2x one-bedroom flats 1x studio flat

  • Common Room

  • Shared laundry

  • Secure shared garden

The work was carried out as a self managed project, utilising available skills within the group, and avoiding the high level of profits demanded for commercial development. The completed project is now be operated as a co-operative with the building subject to an asset lock to retain the development as affordable housing, and prevent it being subject to ‘right-to-buy’.

The design incorporated a number of sustainable principles, including:

  • Very high level of externally mounted insulation.

  • New double and triple glazed windows.

  • Roof mounted photovoltaic cells.

  • Underfloor heating run from a pair of shared boilers.

  • Utilisation of the south elevation as a 'growing wall' and to shade south facing windows.

  • Designed to Secured-by-Design principles.

  • Materials selected to meet the Green Guide standard.

  • Low water use sanitary fittings.

  • Collection of rainwater for garden irrigation.

  • Sustainable drainage principles for rainwater disposal.

  • Secure cycle parking.

  • External drying areas.

  • Energy labelled white goods.

  • LED light fittings throughout.

  • Home office provision with hi-speed broadband.

  • Provision for recycling waste.

  • Garden composting.

The photos below show the project just before completion. Read more about AEOB here.

The project was part funded by Triodos Bank and featured in the Colour of Money from July 2015.

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