Hope Rise, Bristol

Description

The shortage of move-on housing for individuals living in ‘short-term’ emergency accommodation in Bristol prompted to develop this scheme with an aim to creating communities, in which young people could ‘belong, contribute and thrive’. This innovative development captivated interests of all stakeholders because of three interrelated threads. Firstly, the technical & environmental potential of this precision-engineered housing solution as a way of providing quality zero-carbon new homes at pace. Secondly, the construct of utilising air- rights to build affordable homes, by ‘increasing’ land-supply. Thirdly, a collaborative approach to community-motivated place-making & community reliant place-keeping has been exemplar.

ZED PODS delivered full turnkey services including all RIBA stages. We took the planning risks and worked closely with the planning consultant Turley, local communities and the client to overcome the planning barriers.

A pre-application engagement programme, which included engagement with officers at Bristol City Council; City Councillors; resident groups and the local community. This engagement enabled the project team to build an understanding of the local context and raise awareness of the proposals. To ensure all groups had the opportunity to view and comment on the proposed plans, a number of engagement methods were used.

Engagement activities included pre-application discussions with key stakeholders; hosting a consultation webpage; distribution of a leaflet and a public exhibition. Our public exhibition of a fully functional home for 4 weeks in the city and invited over 6000 visitors to engage and comment on the initial concept for the scheme.

We have digitally modelled every home in detail before production. The modules were completed up to 90% in a factory environment, significantly minimising onsite installation time. As a result, the houses were delivered fully assembled, causing minimal disruption to neighbouring properties and enabling new residents to move in promptly. 

Onsite groundworks were undertaken following Covid-19 guidelines while modules were built concurrently in the factory under strict quality control and H&S measures, saving crucial program delivery time. The modules were built and fitted out with bathrooms and kitchens in just eight weeks. Completed modules were installed over a weekend resulting in minimal disruption to the local community and local traffic.

The modules have been designed and detailed to be both highly energy efficient and Net Zero-Carbon in operation, to secure residents the lowest possible running costs.

The environmental performance of these modular dwellings was critical in securing planning for this innovative development. The homes have been optimised for energy efficiency and the lowest possible running costs, with solar panels to generate renewable electricity in the day, quiet running micro air-source heat pumps for low-energy heating, and controlled ventilation which recovers usable heat from inside the building whilst bringing in fresh air, triple glazing, LED lighting and energy-efficient appliances.

Applying the “fabric first” approach, the modules achieved high airtightness and when solar panels were added to each dwelling, they produced more energy than they consumed.

We’ve conducted fortnightly handover meetings with the client for 3 months post-handover. The handover package included video home user guides, M&E training, F&M training and BIM model training. University of West England (UWE) conducted “post-occupancy” evaluation, energy monitoring and follow-up customer satisfaction surveys. This study was funded by social justice charity Commonweal Housing and was published in August 2022. The report validated that 104% of annual energy usage was generated onsite by the roof solar panels. The project also piloted a peer-to-peer support model, in which a team of four ‘Community Builders’ were recruited to live alongside new and existing residents, helping to improve and foster community spirit. Hundreds of visitors came to the scheme as part of open days. It won multiple awards, was showcased in COP26 and shown in national media like BBC, and “lessons learnt” document was published by the BCC.

Following an international Open Call, Hope Rise — a net-zero carbon social-housing scheme is among the 17 exemplary sustainable projects is the centrepiece installation selected to feature in Build Better Now, a virtual reality (VR) online exhibition demonstrating the opportunities for tackling the Climate Emergency and limiting the environmental impact of the buildings and cities we inhabit. Build Better Now will act as a global call for climate action and is supported by a coalition of over 100 partner organisations from the built environment industry.

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The first of its kind in the UK, Hope Rise is a pioneering net-zero carbon, socially-focused development of 11 homes for vulnerable young people who are at risk of homelessness. The scheme provides affordable, energy-efficient and cheap-to-run homes, all of which exceed the statements set out in Bristol City Council’s Climate Emergency Aspirations. The development was erected on stilts above an existing public car park, retaining 100% of the original parking spaces. ZED PODS has worked closely with the Bristol City Council, The Bristol Housing Festival, YMCA Bristol to bring this award-winning development to fruition.