A community-led scheme for Lockleaze
At Shaldon Road in Lockleaze, Bristol, BREE Construction delivered 50 highly sustainable homes for United Communities (since merged into Brighter Places). Completed across the 2019 to 2022 period, the 9.8 million pound scheme was developed through a community-led housing model that put local people at the heart of decisions about how the neighbourhood should grow.
Designed by Passivhaus and sustainability specialists Architype, the development was conceived as an exemplar of low-carbon, affordable living. The approach was about doing development differently, working alongside the Bristol Community Land Trust and residents to create homes that respond to local need rather than a standard off-the-shelf product.
The location in Lockleaze placed the homes within an established residential community on the northern edge of Bristol, where the scheme added to local housing supply while testing a different way of bringing development forward. Rather than imposing a fixed design, the process drew on the priorities of residents and the land trust from an early stage.
Passivhaus standard and ground-source heating
The homes were built to the Passivhaus standard using modern methods of construction, an exacting fabric-first approach that reduces energy demand through high levels of insulation, airtightness and careful detailing. This keeps running costs low for residents and supports Bristol's wider ambitions around carbon neutrality.
Heating and hot water are provided through a ground-source ambient loop array linked to Kensa Shoebox heat pumps, a renewable system that removes the need for gas and gives each home efficient, low-carbon warmth. The combination of Passivhaus fabric and ground-source technology made Shaldon Road one of the more technically ambitious affordable schemes of its kind in the South West.
An award-winning result
The completed development, since rebranded Merry Hill by its successor landlord, went on to win the Social Housing Award at the South West Residential Property Awards 2022. The recognition reflected both the quality of the homes and the strength of the community-led process behind them.
For BREE Construction, Shaldon Road demonstrates how a contractor can support genuinely resident-driven housing, pairing sustainable construction with the kind of long-term social value that keeps homes affordable and comfortable for the people who live in them.
