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
Giants 400 | Aug 7, 2015
MULTIFAMILY AEC GIANTS: Slowdown prompts developers to ask: Will the luxury rentals boom hold?
For the last three years, rental apartments have occupied the hot corner in residential construction, as younger people gravitated toward renting to be closer to urban centers and jobs. But at around 360,000 annual starts, multifamily might be peaking, according to BD+C's 2015 Giants 300 report.
High-rise Construction | Aug 7, 2015
Tribute tower to cricket world champs will be Sri Lanka’s tallest
The 1996 Iconic Tower will be a tribute to the country’s cricket team, which won the World Cup in 1996.
Multifamily Housing | Aug 5, 2015
FacadeRetrofit.org: A new database for tracking commercial and multifamily façade upgrades
The site allows users to submit information about new projects, or supplement information on those already posted.
High-rise Construction | Jul 29, 2015
Jerusalem to get a high-rise pyramid by Daniel Libeskind
Are pyramids making a comeback? The city of Paris recently approved a triangle-shaped building that stirred controversy from residents. Now, the city of Jerusalem gave Libeskind's pyramid tower the go-ahead.
Contractors | Jul 29, 2015
Consensus Construction Forecast: Double-digit growth expected for commercial sector in 2015, 2016
Despite the adverse weather conditions that curtailed design and construction activity in the first quarter of the year, the overall construction market has performed extremely well to date, according to AIA's latest Consensus Construction Forecast.
High-rise Construction | Jul 28, 2015
Work begins on KPF's 'flared silhouette' tower in Manhattan
The 62-story, 157-unit luxury condo tower widens at the 40th floor, resulting in a gently flared silhouette, accented by a sculpted crown.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 27, 2015
Miami developers are designing luxury housing to cater to out-of-town buyers and renters
The Miami Herald reports on several new multifamily projects, including the Paramount Miami Worldcenter, whose homes include maid’s rooms, larger terraces, boutique-size closets, and guest suites.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 20, 2015
At an 18-year high, multifamily construction continues to drive housing sector
Predictions that multifamily housing construction would taper off in 2015 may have underestimated the ongoing demand for this kind of housing, the vast majority of which is being marketed as rentals.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 16, 2015
Minneapolis relaxes parking requirements on new multifamily buildings
The city cut the number of spots required for large developments by half. It also will accept plans with no parking spaces in certain cases.
Codes and Standards | Jul 16, 2015
Berkeley, Calif., adopts balcony inspection program following deadly collapse
Apartment building balconies will be subject to inspections every three years under new regulations adopted following a deadly collapse.
