Parc Hadau is an 拢8m build-to-rent eco estate in Pontardawe that is set to be the first development by Sero Homes.
Preparation works for the 35 new homes began on site in March 2020 and the aim is to start construction in the summer, subject to Covid-19 constraints.
The homes have been designed by architect Loyn & Co with a mix of renewable energy technologies, including thermal and electrical storage, on-site photovoltaic panels and ground source heat pumps. There are also electric vehicle charging points, and ventilation systems and smart energy management systems.
Landscape architect Farrer Huxley has designed a central communal garden incorporating wetland and meadow.
Sero Homes claims that Parc Hadau will be the first scheme to go to the full extent of the UK Green Building Council鈥檚 definition of net zero carbon, by tracking real-time 鈥榠n-use鈥� carbon emissions when the homes are running.
Sero managing director James Williams, who started the company in 2017, said: 鈥淭hese new images really bring to life how landscaping at Parc Hadau is central to the overall design of the scheme, helping create a unique sense of place that is focused around nature and community. We want to create new homes that are better for the environment and better for people, and part of this is by helping adjust the way we live day-to-day and use energy.聽
鈥淭he Covid-19 crisis has demonstrated how a change to our everyday lifestyles can have a huge impact on the environment, and in a similar way, Parc Hadau shows the positive design impact that a change in priority or lifestyle can have.聽 For example, the scheme is designed around active travel, prioritising pedestrians rather than cars. It means Parc Hadau has a permeable one-way driveway at the perimeter of the site instead of a central tarmac road, that allows a communal garden to form the heart of the site 鈥� hugely altering the overall look and feel of the scheme.鈥�
Sero Homes plans to offer the homes on index-linked tenures rather than open market sale. The scheme is backed by 拢2m from the Welsh government鈥檚 innovative housing programme.
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