We're leading the way in sustainable home upgrades

We've hosted our second community open day at our property in Ferndale Rise, Cambridge, which is set to undergo an extensive renovation utilising sustainable building innovations.

We want to showcase that sustainable living is achievable for everyone and to play our part in the decarbonisation of the UK housing market.

The archetypal 1930s semidetached house in Ferndale Rise is being used as a blank canvas which we will renovate and retrofit with modern, energy-efficient solutions.

We're going to share the lessons from the redevelopment in an effort to empower and enthuse homeowners to make changes, whether large or small, to their own homes.

Peter Burrows, Chief Executive said: “We want to help our members, and indeed the wider Cambridge community, by demonstrating how affordable energy-efficient solutions can be implemented using sustainable building methods, and how each of us might consider implementing those ideas in our own homes.”

“An increasing number of people are committed to making environmentally positive upgrades to their homes. But it’s often difficult to know where to start – people need practical, affordable solutions.

“Our project at Ferndale Rise is about showcasing what’s possible, and openly sharing that journey with our neighbours and local communities.  We aim to make a significant improvement in the environmental performance of the house, but to do so in a way which is financially viable, and which is also in keeping with the local architecture of our historic city.

“This is about creating a better, more sustainable, realistic future for generations to come.”

We will document the process and share our learning along with tips and advice from industry experts and links to skilled local tradespeople, including project partners Koru Construction, Pip Architecture, Rethink Buildings, and RHBC Ltd Building Control.

When completed, the house will be added to our unique Rent To Home scheme, under which we rent houses to aspiring first time buyers at deeply discounted rents to enable them to save for a deposit on a home of their own.