Living Villages is a housebuilder dedicated to creating sustainable, low-carbon, eco-friendly communities through good design and basic, tried and tested principles. The ‘villages’ have an established feel and are based on a ‘sense of place’ - conviviality, neighbourliness and a feeling of belonging - underpinned by environmental consciousness.
The first ‘village’ to be designed and created by Living Villages is The Wintles in Bishop’s Castle, Shropshire. This ambitious project comprises 40 individual homes, ranging from cosy two-bedroom bungalows to spacious three-storey, six-bedroom houses. Having now entered its third phase, there are currently 20 completed homes at The Wintles.
The Homes
All the houses currently built at The Wintles have large windows and many have sun spaces and internal balconies with the sunlight flooding into the homes and their warm, dry interiors give the feel of a Mediterranean climate. This contributes to the sense of wellbeing, creativity and comfort experienced by residents.
Energy
Each of the homes is built facing towards the sun and, to draw in and trap as much light and solar energy as possible, high performance triple glazed, or double glazed argon filled windows. To keep heat within the highly draught-proofed building ‘envelope’, a 300mm thick layer of 'Warmcel' insulation, produced from recycled newspaper, is vacuum-packed into a membrane in the wall cavities.
When the houses at The Wintles are occupied and functioning as busy family homes they require very little energy for heating and are designed to maximise its effectiveness when it is used. Should it be necessary, heat is released into the home by means of gas-fuelled underfloor heating in the areas where it is most needed, such as living rooms and bathrooms. It then permeates upwards through the less frequently used areas, like the bedrooms, which are unheated by any direct means.
