Eco-Self-Build Housing Communities Are They Feasible and Can They Lead to Sustainable and Low Carbon Lifestyles.docVIP

Sustainability 2010, 2, 2084-2116; doi:10.3390/su2072084 OPEN ACCESS sustainability ISSN 2071-1050 /journal/sustainability Article Eco-Self-Build Housing Communities: Are They Feasible and Can They Lead to Sustainable and Low Carbon Lifestyles? Steffie Broer 1,2,* and Helena Titheridge 1 1 Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6XA, UK; E-Mail: h.titheridge@ucl.ac.uk 2 Bright Green Futures Ltd., 232 Mina Rd., Bristol, BS2 9YP, UK * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: steffie@brightgreenfutures.co.uk; Tel.: +44-117-942-8996. Received: 11 June 2010 / Accepted: 22 June 2010 / Published: 12 July 2010 Abstract: This paper concerns how sustainable and low carbon living can be enabled in new housing developments in the UK. It is here recognized that consumption of energy and resources is not just what goes into the building, but also long-term through occupancy and activities. Current approaches, which require housing developers to reduce the carbon emissions of the homes they build through a mixture of energy efficiency and renewable energy systems, do not sufficiently contribute to the carbon emission reductions which are necessary for meeting UK Government targets and to avoid dangerous climate change. Purchasing a home ties people in to not just direct consumption of energy (heating, hot water, electricity), but also effects other areas of consumption such as the embedded energy in the building and activities associated with the location and the type of development. Conventional business models for new housing development, operating under current government regulations, policies and targets have failed to develop housing which encourages the adoption of sustainable lifestyles taking whole life consumption into account. An alternative business model of eco-self-build communities is p