Pulteney Mews

The brief

Elkins Construction was engaged by Royal Borough of Greenwich to develop an underutilised existing garage site in Anstridge Road, Eltham, into six new council homes. The project was one of four sites making up Elkins’ first batch of net zero modular homes for the Greenwich Builds programme, alongside Strongbow Road, Bowness Close and Charles Folkard Mews.

Public consultation 

Elkins worked alongside the council, architects Shedkm and consulting engineers, SCMS Associates, on the design for the development. An initial consultation and online survey took place in October 2019 and the designs were adapted in response to resident feedback to create the final plans for two two-bedroom and three four-bedroom homes.

Sustainable construction

Construction began in Spring 2020, with the demolition of existing garages on the site. Modules were constructed off-site in a highly controlled factory process, to ensure a high standard of workmanship, and transported to site to be assembled into the new homes. The environmental impact of construction was reduced through the use of recycled and eco-friendly building materials, as well as the modular construction process, which reduces sound pollution and waste and uses less energy than traditional construction by making use of repetitive processes.

Energy-saving technology

The new properties employ a number of energy-saving technologies, including: high efficiency air source heat pumps for heating and hot water; solar panels using natural sunlight to generate electricity; energy efficient LED lighting; high performance building fabric and triple glazing to prevent heat loss. Not only will these measures reduce the carbon footprint of the new homes, in line with the council’s target in its Carbon Neutral Plan, they also provide a huge benefit to the residents by reducing running costs during the cost of living crisis and at a time when energy bills are historically high.

Modern design

The new development provides high quality council housing designed to accommodate the modern lifestyles of its residents, with large open plan living spaces and oriel windows providing plenty of natural light. The restrained red and black exterior colour palette complements existing buildings in the surrounding area, a consideration which was particularly important to the local residents.

Resident feedback

New residents explained how the development had impacted their lives. Mr Mehr recently moved into one of the new three-bedroom homes, having spent 14 years on a housing waiting list, while living in a two-bedroom flat with his family. He praised the design of the homes saying, “they look so good most people can’t believe they are council homes!”.