Here at Symphony, we are thrilled to announce that we have won the Sustainable Project of the Year 2022 accolade from one of the UK’s leading designer magazines, Designerati. This is for our involvement in Barratt Homes’ unique Zed House project. The first zero carbon home built by a UK housebuilder, the Zed House in Manchester features our Urban Grey Walnut kitchen, which is made from 100% recycled chipboard. The house, which sits on the University of Salford’s main campus, is the first in the UK to be built by a major housebuilder that goes way beyond the Future Homes Standard.
The Future Homes Standard was published by the government in January 2021 and this outlines changes to Part L (conservation of fuel and power) and F (ventilation) of the Building Regulations to improve the energy efficiency of new homes. It’s designed to ensure that all new homes built from 2025 will produce 75-80% less carbon emissions than homes delivered under current regulations.
An insight into the future of sustainable living, the Zed House has been designed to test and monitor all the latest sustainable technology. This includes infrared panels, air source heat pump, plaster that eliminates pollutants, a fridge that keeps food fresh for longer, heated skirting boards, air powered showers, EV charging points, PV solar panels and battery storage, along with our Urban Grey recycled kitchen. The house will be habited by a university academic, who will test and monitor all the technology to experience zero carbon living first-hand.
You can take a sneak peek inside the Zed House on a virtual tour here. Here you can see our Urban Grey kitchen in all its glory. The cabinet doors are made from 100% recycled chipboard while cabinet boards have 50% recycled content and the handles are made from coconut. It also features a fridge that keeps food fresh for longer, reducing food waste, and a water and energy-efficient 4-in-1 tap. It was a brilliant project to be a part of and we really enjoyed working alongside Barratt Homes to make this vision come to life.
