Salford eco-friendly affordable apartment block reaches highest point

Construction of a ground-breaking, eco-friendly apartment block in Salford has reached its highest point.

The nine-storey Greenhaus, which is being built opposite Salford Cathedral on Chapel Street, has officially topped out at 32 metres.

The 96-apartment project is being built to Passivhaus standards and will be the largest Passivhaus affordable housing scheme in the north west.

The ambitious addition to the Chapel Street neighbourhood, is being delivered by The English Cities Fund (ECF) – a joint venture between nationwide placemaker, Muse, Legal & General, one of the UK’s leading financial services groups and a major global investor, and the government’s housing and regeneration agency, Homes England – alongside Salford housing association, Salix Homes and architect, Buttress.

Sue Sutton, Chief Executive at Salix Homes, said: “Greenhaus represents a new era of high quality, sustainable and affordable housing, so it’s a real milestone moment to see it taking shape on the Salford skyline and reaching its highest point.

“At a time of a housing crisis, and with climate change such a critical issue, we’re incredibly proud to be working alongside our partners to deliver desperately needed affordable homes in Salford which are better for the environment, support our carbon neutral ambitions, and help reduce fuel poverty for residents.”

Joe Stockton, Development Manager at ECF, said: “While Greenhaus is the first and largest of its kind for the region, we’re committed to exploring how we can make more low carbon neighbourhoods like this become the standard.

“For us, our buildings only mean something if they then mean something to the people that are going to live, work and enjoy their time in and around them. Currently, high-spec affordable housing with the energy saving credentials of Greenhaus is incredibly rare in the north west and they’ll have a significant positive impact on the future residents. We’re proud to be paving the way and doing it in a city that’s so aligned with our own green ambitions.”

Properties that are built to Passivhaus standards enjoy reduced energy consumption of around 90% compared to traditional housing stock, helping residents to reduce their fuel bills while cutting carbon footprints.

The homes at Greenhaus will benefit from triple-glazed windows and the latest in insulation technology, using minimal energy for heating and cooling.

As part of Salford’s Climate Action Plan, it aims to be a carbon neutral city by 2038 and projects like Greenhaus help support those ambitions.

Greenhaus is part of ECF’s £1bn, 50-acre Salford Central transformation being delivered in partnership with Salford City Council, and will take the overall percentage of affordable homes delivered by ECF to 25% across the Chapel Street area of the masterplan.

Construction at the site is continuing at pace and lead contractor Eric Wright Construction is on target to complete the project by spring 2024. Commenting on achieving the topping out milestone Eric Wright Construction Director James Eager, said: “We’re really proud to be delivering such a significant Passivhaus project at Greenhaus and continuing our longstanding successful relationship with ECF.

“We’ve had fantastic support from our trusted supply chain partners to assist us in complying with the stringent Passivhaus requirements and have been using local labour wherever possible to build these superb affordable homes for the Salford community.  It’s great to reach the highest point of the build and to celebrate this achievement with our partners.”

Public electric vehicle charging spaces are being installed at the site, along with a public square and landscaping to encourage people to meet with friends and neighbours and spend more time in the area.

A unique living wall hoarding has also been created at the site boundary, helping to nurture biodiversity and support the project’s green credentials.

Salix Homes secured funding from NatWest, along with grants from Homes England and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to help fund the multi-million-pound scheme.