A pioneering suburban eco-village, the first One Planet Community to be completed in the UK
As the first One Planet Community to be completed in the UK, One Brighton proves that large scale residential buildings can be sustainable, offer good design and provide a place where people can live high-quality, sustainable lifestyles with significantly reduced carbon footprints.
These cutting-edge apartments have brought sustainable living into the mainstream and have achieved commercial success – it has turned a profit despite going on sale during the depths of the 2008/2009 recession.
Residents of One Brighton are saving money, have a greener healthier lifestyle and are radically reducing their emissions of greenhouse gases and water consumption.
Good environmental, social and cost-effective design is essential to deliver on the targets. FCBS have risen to the challenge at a world class level.
Pooran Desai OBE HonFRIBA, International Director, BioRegional ‘One Planet Communities’
Low cost for residents
This multi-use complex has 172 apartments as well as offices, community space and a café in two multi-storey blocks next to Brighton’s main train station. One Brighton has provided 54 affordable homes in one of the most expensive housing markets outside of London with 31% of its apartments allocated for shared equity or social housing. A further 11% have been built as low-cost ‘eco-studios’ offering people their first rung on the housing ladder.
The apartments also share an on-site car club, designed-in 'sky gardens' where they can grow their own produce, and access to green lifestyle officers on-site who support the ongoing sustainable management of the development and assist residents on some of the scheme’s innovative features.
Reaching one-planet living's zero carbon target
One Brighton’s buildings are highly insulated, triple-glazed and heated by woodfuel pellets. The development has the greenest concrete frame in the UK – post-tensioned concrete comprising 50% ground granulated blast furnace slag and use of 100% secondary aggregates.
Electricity for the development is sourced from a green power provider through the development's own energy services company, One Brighton Energy Services, a not-for-profit company set up to supply 100% renewable energy on an affordable basis to the residents of One Brighton.
Overall, the development has a 67% reduction in operational carbon emissions compared to the UK’s existing housing stock, with potential to achieve an 89% reduction by 2020, approaching the (near) Zero Carbon target for One Planet Communities.
One Brighton implements the ten principles of One Planet Living for sustainable development promoted by Bioregional in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature, as part of a growing network of communities worldwide.