Work has started on the first housing scheme awarded by the Homes and Communities Agency’s (HCA) Delivery Partner Panel which has been set up to fast-track the development of new housing on public land. The green development for City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council will create 45 houses for social rent which will be the city’s first zero carbon homes – and the city’s first new council housing for 30 years. read more...

A new visitor centre in a disused gravel quarry off junction 31 of the M6 might seem an odd concept in itself, but the differences don't stop there - the designers of the facility at Brockholes wetland nature reserve plan to float the buildings in the middle of a lake to give visitors the best possible view of the waterfowl. Adam Khan Architects, who in 2008 won an RIBA competition to help the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, came up with the pioneering concept of the five barn-like structures that will sit less than a foot off the water and provide visitors with a unique watery experience. read more...

A multi purpose green building in France has scored a first - "Spring" in Nanterre is the first building to achieve an interim ‘Outstanding' rating under BREEAM Europe Commercial 2009. The development by Bouygues Immobilier and Archon Group has achieved 90% - the highest ever score under BREEAM for a building at the design stage. Carol Atkinson, Chief Executive of BRE Global, said: "This is a remarkable achievement for an exceptional building design and is a credit to the developer, the BREEAM Assessor and the rest of the project team." read more...

Eco structures in Norfolk will be opening their doors next month in the Campaign to Protect Rural England's (CRRE) Green Buildings in Norfolk Open Days event. Bookings are now available for guided, informative tours of a variety of eco-buildings, most of which are not normally open to the public. The event will feature 12 projects that collectively incorporate a wide range of technologies and energy-saving measures, and will take place from Thursday, September 23 until Sunday, September 26. read more...

A £1.6M eco-friendly development situated at the heart of Gloucester city centre, has scooped Gloucester’s Civic Award for Best Climate Friendly Scheme. Boosting sustainable housing in the region, the development comprising 14 innovative eco-apartments marks the investment from Two Rivers Housing, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and the Low Carbon Building Programme. read more...

Building on the University of Salford’s Energy House - a replica of a pre-1920s, traditional-style terrace property constructed within a three-storey, sealed testing chamber - has begun. To ensure the authenticity of the house, ISG, the project’s main contractor, is using a host of reclaimed building materials including timbers, roof tiles and over 20,000 bricks from recently demolished North West terraced homes. The contractor will also be adopting traditional construction techniques and skills to create the replica property. read more...