A diminutive green building will be constructed in Manchester Central and moved to nearby Rusholme as part of the North’s largest sustainable building event, Greenbuild Expo. Named Dwelle, the adaptable mini-home is the brainchild of Ric Frankland, a Manchester based architect and his design has already won accolades at Grand Designs and The British Homes Awards. Frankland will be building a demonstration project in partnership with Eastlands Homes at Manchester Central for the event – which is free to attend and runs from Wednesday June 29 to Thursday June 30. The Home Dwelle.ing micro building will then be moved three miles away to a site in Rusholme to become a showhome for the building system and a centre for carbon literacy.

The architect said: “Our system aims to encourage high quality sustainable living. The idea came about, as we wanted to create small dwellings that could easily be adapted for a range of uses. We originally created ‘sheds for living’ and then re-branded them as dwelle.”

The micro buildings can be zero carbon and meet Passivhaus standards. They are constructed using an FSC certified timber frame, cavity walls insulated with recycled newspaper, with an inner lining which also contributes extra storage space. Windows are double glazed, and heating is by a woodburning stove or electric underfloor heating. P.V. panels and solar thermal can be fitted if a zero carbon specification is required. The homes are available in a variety of sizes, from 24 sq.m to 7.5 sq.m., and are very affordable, arrive prefabricated, and can be assembled by 2 people.

For the exhibition, the main structure of the building will be erected and fitted out over two days in the exhibition hall, then presented on the third day when the show opens. Afterwardds it will serve as a centre for carbon literacy.

Eastlands Homes and Cooler Projects CIC will develop a programme to assist residents to understand how to reduce their energy and carbon footprint. They are currently modernising six of their towers to make them more energy efficient and want to empower their residents – as part of their move to meet their Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC).

The tiny eco home will be the centre for this new initiative located adjacent to Platt and Worsley Courts in Rusholme – managed by Eastlands Homes.

Greenbuild Expo is the largest sustainable building and refurbishment event in the north of the UK. The conference is specifically targeted at those working in the volume housing and non-domestic building sector, including hotel and leisure venues, offices and larger companies, as the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) becomes more integral to working life. This year speakers from BRE and Manchester City Council, among others, will discuss the Code for Sustainable Homes and renewables.