By concentrating on the socio-economic needs of the village, the design goal was to create a secure environment for retired people that provided comfortable and affordable accommodation within a landscaped setting whilst enjoying the benefits of communal services. The housing project was designed as an apparently conventional development, but one in which alternative energy sources, energy and water conservation, and storm water management measures were integrated. During the development of the project, extensive information on new and alternative building services systems was gathered to enable evaluation and implementation of low environmental impact systems within the constraints at this particular project.

A rigorous appraisal of “state of the art” environmental technologies has been incorporated into the design procedure, with consequent long-term advantages for the community. Apart from simple financial analysis, the designers, consultants, and developer were able to evaluate quantitatively the actual cost of reducing carbon emissions. The design proposals also include an innovative water management measures scheme, which has been assessed by qualitative and quantitative analyses. The scheme provided information about the difficulties and constraints related to environmentally sensitive design. A project designed by Kenneth Holmes Associates.