Shaping the Future of Sustainable Housing with gs8 and The Crown Estate
At boehm lynas, we are committed to pioneering sustainable architecture that harmoniously integrates with communities and the environment. Our recent collaboration with gs8 and The Crown Estate to provide one of three housing demonstration projects across the UK, exemplifies this dedication.
The Crown Estate's three demonstration projects aim to explore innovative solutions that address the challenges of building high-quality, sustainable homes. With the goal of delivering 200 homes across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, and Cheshire, these projects will test new approaches to enhance the quality of homes, improve energy security, and accelerate the delivery of sustainable housing at scale across the UK. By experimenting with cutting-edge methods, The Crown Estate hopes to identify strategies that can be implemented across the broader housing sector to meet growing demand.
Each pilot project has ambitious sustainability targets, including achieving upfront carbon levels of less than 300kg CO₂/m² and operational energy use intensity of 35kWh/m²/year. The developments will also aim for a minimum 15% biodiversity net gain, on-site renewable energy generation, and alignment with the Passivhaus standard, promoting energy-efficient and healthy living environments. These projects will both create exemplary homes within new communities and provide valuable insights into sustainable construction and design, which will inform future initiatives within The Crown Estate’s portfolio and beyond.
We will deliver 50 net zero carbon homes in Wootton, Bedfordshire, in which will pioneer regenerative development principles, including a market-leading approach to carbon reduction and deconstructable homes for future reuse. Our approach to this project mirrors our work on The Arbour, where we, again in partnership with gs8, developed ten carbon-negative, zero-waste, and energy-positive homes. This project received a RIBA National Award 2024, a RIBA London Award 2024 and the RIBA London Sustainability Award 2024, underscoring our commitment to sustainable urban design.
Our involvement in these projects aligns strongly with our values of sustainability, community engagement, and innovative design. By partnering with developers like GS8, we will deliver homes that are not only environmentally responsible but also foster genuine, inclusive communities. These collaborations provide valuable insights into sustainable construction and design, informing future projects across our portfolio and the broader housing sector. We are committed to addressing challenges such as the affordability crisis and the need for innovation in housing design, striving to create homes that are both sustainable and inclusive.
Josh Gordon, co-founder of gs8, said: “We are incredibly proud to have been chosen to partner on this ground-breaking project with such a prominent and forward-thinking partner. We approach every scheme from a holistic perspective, with this project going beyond best practice to engage the local community to help shape the development, which, combined with our regenerative housing approach, will leave a positive mark on Wootton’s community and environment.”
Through these initiatives, boehm lynas continues to lead in sustainable architecture, delivering homes that set new standards for environmental responsibility and community well-being.