Pupils from a Leeds primary school donned hard hats to visit a unique housing project where new homes are being built from straw bales and timber.
Forty-four year four pupils from Hollybush School visited the city’s first affordable green co-housing project in Bramley, where 20 new ‘green’ homes are under construction on the site of their old school.
Residents of the eco-homes will share cooking, eating, laundry, leisure and meeting facilities in a community ‘common house’. Robin Fishwick attended the visit and will be moving in with his daughters, Rosa, 8, and Grace, 6, both pupils at Hollybush.
He told the YEP: “The girls are looking forward to moving in and I think it’s great that they will mix together will people of all ages.”
The future residents are helping to build their new homes using a range of renewable technologies and natural materials.
The walls of the houses are made from straw bales, timber frames and lime render to provide a super-insulated, energy-efficient and renewable alternative to traditional building materials.
This is the first time the system has been used for a residential project in the UK.
Mr Fishwick said: “I think it’s important to do something to minimise our impact on the Houses made of straw offer window on a greener future environment and live in better harmony with the planet. The construction of the buildings and the communal element, such as cooking meals together, will help us do that.”
Mr Fishwick, currently living in Armley, said his family had already gotten to know many of their future neighbours.
He said: “We’re already looking out for each other and helping each other out. Once we move in there’ll be a lot more contact with neighbours than usually tends to happen.”
The low impact living affordable community (LILAC) development is being built by Lindum Construction on the former site of Wyther Park Primary School on Victoria Park Avenue.
Fran Lee, of LILAC, said: “We are looking forward to enjoying life with very low energy bills.”
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