Manchester is to accommodate one of the first of a new breed of green high-rise housing blocks, with the development of an eco-tower at Taylor Woodrow Capital Developments’ Macintosh Village.
The 11-storey building will house a nursery school, doctor’s surgery and 32 apartments that offer an environmentally sympathetic form of loft-style living space.

Architect Terry Farrell and Partners worked closely with low-energy engineering consultants from the concept stage to ensure that the project took an integrated approach to environmental design. The building is a chamfered drum, its cylindrical shape minimising heat loss from the fabric. The truncated roof of the tower faces south to allow maximum benefit to be gained from solar thermal collectors, which will be used to generate hot water. External cladding comprises western red cedar rainscreen panels and render.

At the heart of the drum is an atrium, which brings natural ventilation to the apartments. Other green components are the use of showers rather than baths to reduce water usage, the composting of organic waste by a resident gardener and a 6 kW wind turbine.

The design team expects the building to achieve a 76% reduction in primary energy consumption and a 93% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Apartments are being assessed under the EcoHomes measurement process. Construction of the £4.5m building is due to begin in April and is scheduled to take 17 months.

Credits

client and contractor Taylor Woodrow architect Terry Farrell and Partners low-energy consultant Environmental Power structural engineer Waterman cost consultant Rex Procter and Partners planning adviser Drivers Jonas fire and acoustic engineer Arup innovation consultant Richard Hodkinson Consultancy

Itll be alright on the site