Developer Lumiere Developments has recently announced The Beacon, a 17-story residential tower that will be located in Hemel Hempstead, 25 minutes from London Euston. According to Lumiere Developments, The Beacon will become the most sustainable residential tower in the world upon completion, saving residents up to £11,000 a year in living expenses.
Some of the key features for the new building include:
- The highest density solar farm in the world (0.8mw on <0.5 acres)
- Solar photovoltaic panels – embedded into the solar balustrades at each floor level
- Triple-glazing to all apartments
- Quadruple-glazing to upper level apartments
- Ground Source Heat Pumps – to extract heat from the basement of the building to heat the hot water
- Air Source Heat Pumps to extract heat from the atrium
- 100% rainwater harvesting (collected at roof and balcony levels) for toilet flushing and irrigation of the green planters on each external balcony and internal arboretum
- MHVR – Mechanical Heat and Ventilation Recovery System – to ventilate apartments and create comfort cooling
- Thermal emissivity of less than 0.2W/M2K
- UK’s tallest residential indoor arboretum
- UK’s largest underground automated robotic car park (supplied by Skyline Parking) - 319 car park spaces underground in less than half an acre
The Beacon does not want to be a one-trick pony, however. In addition to all of the sustainable features, a myriad of luxury amenities will also be included. Each one of the 272 apartments will be move in ready and can be accessed from the central atrium via glass elevators that overlook the arboretum. All apartments will include smart-controlled thermostats, comfort cooling systems, and automated blinds.
The 13th floor will be home to the premium Skyline apartments, which will feature terraces with winter gardens, hot tubs, and electro-glass for privacy.
All residents will have access to a 2,120-sf gym and a communal roof garden with an observatory at the top of the building. An in-house electric car and electric bike share scheme (a first for a residential development in the UK) will be included. Residents with cars will have access to the UK’s largest automated underground car parking system with 319 spaces. Skyline Parking will manage the system, which cuts 80% of CO2 emissions compared to a standard car park and can also reduce the wait time by 50% and car insurance by up to 20%.
The tower is set to be complete in 2018 and will offer studio, one, two, and three bedroom balconied apartments and luxury penthouses. Prices will start at £217,950.
Related Stories
| May 16, 2011
Autodesk and the USGBC announce multifamily design competition
Autodesk is partnering with the U.S. Green Building Council to sponsor the organization’s multifamily midrise design competition, which will give design professionals and students an opportunity to present their solutions to sustainable, multifamily midrise design.
| May 3, 2011
Would apartment shells help the housing market?
One reason the U.S. government pushed for homeownership is because it’s thought to reduce turnover and build strong communities. Owners have a vested interest in their properties whereas renters don’t—but what if were to change?
| Apr 12, 2011
Luxury New York high rise adjacent to the High Line
Located adjacent to New York City’s High Line Park, 500 West 23rd Street will offer 111 luxury rental apartments when it opens later this year.
| Mar 22, 2011
Mayor Bloomberg unveils plans for New York City’s largest new affordable housing complex since the ’70s
Plans for Hunter’s Point South, the largest new affordable housing complex to be built in New York City since the 1970s, include new residences for 5,000 families, with more than 900 in this first phase. A development team consisting of Phipps Houses, Related Companies, and Monadnock Construction has been selected to build the residential portion of the first phase of the Queens waterfront complex, which includes two mixed-use buildings comprising more than 900 housing units and roughly 20,000 square feet of new retail space.
