Innovative Eco Housing Development in Harlesden

Harlesden, in North-West London, is the site of an exciting new eco housing development. As a town, Harlesden is on the up. A huge amount of development money is being pumped into this thriving, bohemian area, which, with its diverse local Irish, Asian and Caribbean communities, is being tipped to become a future Notting Hill.
 
Famous local and former local residents include actor Shane Richie, singer KT Tunstall, broadcaster Louis Theroux, and boxing champions James DeGale and Audley Harrison. And if you like music, you'll appreciate Harlesden's position as the unofficial reggae capital of London.
 
Right in the centre of the town, within a stone's throw of Queen Victoria's famous Jubilee Clock, is Highwood Court, a brand new eco development, indicative of Harlesden’s forward-looking approach.
 
Created by SUSD, a London-based architecture and development firm specializing in sustainable design, Highwood Court is an affordable, hi-spec and environmentally-responsible complex of nine homes (called SUSD House), that will be available as two- and three-bedroom properties.
 
Despite its central location, right off Harlesden High Street, Highwood Court is an oasis of calm. Once inside the high wooden gates that provide private access the development, the hubbub of the town could be miles away. Set back from the road and surrounded on three sides by Victorian buildings, Highwood Court offers the best of both worlds; built on a reassuringly modest scale, it is shielded from the hustle and bustle of the High Street, yet benefits from all the amenities afforded by modern town life. From the outside, you wouldn't know it was there.
 
The SUSD House is both appealing to the eye and friendly to the environment. "There are eight three-bedroom and one two-bedroom houses, all constructed from sustainably grown, solid spruce timber with Douglas Fir cladding," explains architect Johannes Muller-Lotze. "We are leaving the cladding to age and weather naturally, avoiding the use of chemicals. The development also has a Green Roof, seeded mainly with low-growing sedum plants."
 
Green roofs are becoming increasingly popular, used on buildings as diverse as the University of Nottingham and the Rolls Royce factory in Sussex. They benefit the environment in a number of ways. "Green roofs are visually appealing, for one", continues Muller-Lotze, "and offer increased insulation in winter and cooling in summer, as well as helping with rainwater run-off. They add oxygen into the atmosphere and attract wildlife, particularly birds." For around the last hundred years the Highwood Court plot has been an industrial courtyard. Says Muller-Lotze: "After all this time we are pleased to introduce some natural greenery into this space for local residents."
 
The individual SUSD House properties within the mews style site are constructed over three storeys, with first floor access via individual external staircases. The homes are beautifully finished. Large wood-framed double-glazed windows flood the timber-panelled interiors with natural light and afford easy ventilation. There are also skylights in the kitchens, and openable windows in the bathrooms. In addition to a fully tiled en-suite bathroom with heated towel rails, each property boasts a separate shower/wet room with WC on the ground floor. And complementing the green roofs, there is natural wood fibre insulation in the walls, which adds to the development's high thermal performance and low-energy costs.
 
"A certificate from the Carbon Bank shows that the solid timber system used on this project captured 221 tonnes of carbon," says SUSD co-founder and director, Peter ‘Harry’ Harris. "That's the equivalent of driving 46 times around the world."

The living areas are generously proportioned and all bedrooms come fully carpeted. Each kitchen is pre-fitted with a concealed fridge-freezer, washer-dryer and dishwasher. Both the cooker and the efficient underfloor heating system are powered by electricity. An entryphone system with colour video screen adds to the exclusive feel of the complex.
 
SUSD House has a welcoming, agreeable ambience, and its mews style construction with its central courtyard surrounded by timber decking is intended to create a community-based living environment that is both unique and affordable in this part of London.
 
Highwood Court is convenient for Portobello Market, Ladbroke Grove and Notting Hill. There is easy access to the London Underground (Harlesden Station on the Bakerloo Line) and National Rail (Willesden Junction Station).

Each property comes with a 999-year lease and a share of the freehold.
 
Address: 112 High Street, Harlesden, London NW10 4SL
 
Prices:
1 x 2 bedroom house at £299,950
8 x 2 bedroom house at £352,500
 
For more information contact Rolfe East New Homes on 020 579 4080 or visit http://www.rolfe-east.com.

THE FACTORY QUARTER, ACTON: A development by Genesis Homes

This new development is situated on the Acton/Turnham Green/Chiswick borders, close to Acton Park. It is one of Genesis Homes’ first private developments, having specialised to date in the provision of affordable housing, and we are delighted to be agents for this venture.
 
The Factory Quarter is a stunning development consisting of one hundred and sixty five one and two-bedroom apartments. The apartments are modern, light and airy, with a highly contemporary specification throughout, and are situated around a beautifully landscaped garden square. It is anticipated that properties will be snapped up extremely quickly, with twenty already sold off plan and more due for release on the 10th of November.
Robert Barrett, our New Homes Sales Manager, says, "We are excited by our involvement in this project. Working alongside Genesis Homes’ Deputy Director (New Homes), Sharon Cummings, and her team is proving to be a rewarding experience and we look forward to a long and successful relationship."