An entire street of eco-houses at University Park has been completed with the opening of the Mark Group EcoHouse. The house showcases some of the latest designs and building techniques to improve energy efficiency and bring down fuel bills.

The steel frame building features 12 different energy-saving and power generating technologies and demonstrates how they might be used to improve energy efficiency of social housing stock and tackle fuel poverty.

The house is the last of seven energy efficient homes of the future which have been constructed in partnership with industry. Run by the Department of Architecture and Built Environment in the Faculty of Engineering the Creative Energy Homes Project is a ‘living lab’ of specially designed houses built to test and research different aspects of modern methods of construction and sustainable and renewable technologies.

Mark Gillott, Professor of Sustainable Building Design, said: “Research undertaken through industry/academia partnerships is a vital part of developing sustainable housing solutions to tackle the key issues of climate change, fuel poverty and the provision of warm and affordable housing. It is also vital that we educate the next generation of professionals with the knowledge to design and deliver these solutions — something we are doing here at Nottingham with our own students. We are delighted to be working with the Mark Group on this exciting innovative project.”

Leicester based energy saving business, Mark Group, is spearheaded by a team of alumni who have built the company into one of the country’s leading domestic insulation specialists.

Lee Cottingham, Mark Group’s Global CEO and Chairman graduated with a degree in Industrial Economics while Jay Hensman, Commercial Development Director, has a Nottingham degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters in Building Design.

Bill Rumble, Mark Group Chief Commercial Officer, who also graduated from Nottingham − with a degree in Manufacturing Engineering, said: “We are extremely proud of the development of the EcoHouse, of our partnership with The University of Nottingham and of what this project will help us to achieve in the fight against fuel poverty.”

The Mark Group EcoHouse has been designed as a concept house, detached and built over three levels with four bedrooms and a first-floor balcony. The technologies installed through the project showcases the very latest in insulation and solar power.

Pictured:

TV’s Dick Strawbridge, who gave a speech at the unveiling of the Mark Group EcoHouse, and Professor Mark Gillott.