A better world is possible - Global Commons Institute

Copyright Bruce Nixon 2010. All rights reserved. This electronic copy is provided free for personal, non-commercial use only.
www.brucenixon.com
It is an environmentally-friendly, energy-efficient mix of housing and work space at Beddington, in the
London Borough of Sutton. People come from all over the world to see it. It demonstrates the possibilities
for mixed housing and office development. It is holistic in that it attempts to embody every aspect of what
sustainable living means. It was built for and is occupied by typical “ordinary” people, many of whom have
become more environmentally aware as a result of living or working there. Sutton, an exceptionally
enlightened borough council, is now embarking on an eco-refurbishment project, whose progress is well
worth following.
BedZED is the first large-scale “carbon neutral” community – i.e. the first not to add to the amount of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere – was built from 2000 to 2002 on reclaimed land sold by the Borough of Sutton to
the Peabody Trust at below market value. It comprises of 82 houses, 17 apartments and 1,405 square meters
of workspace. 50% of homes are allocated to low income families.
It shows how the demand for housing can be met without destroying the countryside or damaging the
environment. It shows how an eco-friendly lifestyle can be easy, affordable and attractive - something that
ordinary people will want. BedZED offers a myriad of energy and resource saving measures, including
maximising water re-use, reducing waste and decreasing energy consumption. Social provisions include a
nursery, after school clubs, a medical centre, an organic café, bar, shops, internet access and workspaces. It
incorporates up-to-the minute thinking on sustainable development and demonstrates the technical
possibility and economic feasibility of building without degrading the environment, instead improving and
enhancing it.
BedZED was built from natural, recycled and reclaimed materials, sourced locally when possible, to keep its
carbon footprint low. Roof top gardens and standard gardens provide places for residents to grow their own
food. Waste-water recycling and low-flow appliances help conserve water. Super-insulated homes retain
heat, and a centralised Combined Heat and Power plant (CHP) reduces the energy needed to warm the
homes. Originally it was intended to provide its energy from renewable sources generated on site from a
power station using bio-mass. However, teething problems with a small plant like this have not yet been
overcome. The houses embrace passive solar energy with south-facing terraces for maximum sunlight and
heat gain while offices, which often use air conditioning to counter overheating, stay cooler on the north side
of the building. The home ventilation system uses wind cowls to let in air while preventing heat loss in
winter.
Lifestyle changes as well as architecture are also a part of BedZED’s environmental strategy. The community
encourages people to buy local, organic food or grow their own in the community gardens. Easy-to-use,
home recycling bins cut down on waste. BedZED offers pedestrian walkways and cycling, and bus and train
stops within walking distance. Carpools and a car club cut down on personal car use.
With its colourful and contemporary style, it is an exemplar, both visually and in terms of its social and
environmental sustainability credentials. Its 'pedestrian priority' streets, utilisation of electric vehicles,
generous covered bicycle storage and balconies and gardens for every home are features which take the
garden city ideal into the 21st century.
The project's inspiration came from the environmental development organisation BioRegional, which also
plans to develop the adjacent landfill site into a working landscape to showcase sustainable land-based
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