LILAC: Low Impact Living Affordable Community
- by Oliver Style
- /
- 2014-01-31 12:30:49
- /
- International
- /
- 16819 / EN
New Construction
- Building Type : Collective housing > 50m
- Construction Year : 2013
- Delivery year : 2013
- Address 1 - street : Lilac Grove, Victoria Park Ave LS5 3AG LEEDS, United Kingdom
- Climate zone : [Cfc] Marine Cool Winter & summer- Mild with no dry season.
- Net Floor Area : 1 676 m2
- Construction/refurbishment cost : 2 221 617 €
- Cost/m2 : 1325.55 €/m2
-
Primary energy need :
62.78 kWhpe/m2.year
(Calculation method : Primary energy needs )
LILAC is the UK's first affordable, ecological cohousing project. A community of 20 households and common house, the buildings are made with the ModCell prefabricated straw bale construction system, assembled by LILAC members using local straw. The excellent insulation properties of straw, combined with airtight construction, triple glazing, and heat recovery ventilation, reduce energy and CO2 emissions to a minimum. A community owned Solar Hot Water & Photovoltaic scheme reduces energy & CO2 emissions further. The site has a sustainable urban drainage system to minimise water use and run-off, and the landscape includes herb gardens and allotments shared with the wider community.
The LILAC homes have received UK Energy Performance Certification (EPC), according the SAP 2009 assessment procedure.
(Cost data includes the specific construction costs of the homes + fees & site preparation, excluding parking and urban sewerage).
Data reliability
3rd part certified
Stakeholders
Developer
LILAC MHOS Ltd.Designer
White Design Associates Ltd. [email protected]Manufacturer
ModCell [email protected]Contractor
LindumThermal consultancy agency
ProGETIC SCP [email protected]Others
Co-Ho Ltd.Structures calculist
Integral Engineering DesignOthers
BWA Quantity SurveyorContracting method
General Contractor
Owner approach of sustainability
The aim of LILAC is to:
- Reduce our impact on the environment
- Respond to the housing crisis
- Make a positive contribution to the surrounding community.
Architectural description
The units use the innovative ‘ModCell’ building system to provide an environmentally sensitive approach to suburban housing which is unique to the UK. The construction is a mixture of timber frame and straw bale structural panels finished in a mixture of lime render and timber, with timber frame internal partitioning.
The site arrangement is in a courtyard formation and approximately one third of the site is landscape and allotment gardens, which is used by the residents to reduce their ecological footprint. The number of car spaces is limited to reduce the carbon emissions from the residents and all residents sign a pledge which commits them to the philosophy of the group. The design is contemporary and sets a new standard for both environmental performance and house design in suburban environments.
Energy consumption
- 62,78 kWhpe/m2.year
- 200,00 kWhpe/m2.year
- 104,95 kWhfe/m2.year
Envelope performance
- 0,19 W.m-2.K-1
- 2,75
GHG emissions
- 10,60 KgCO2/m2/year
- 80,00 year(s)
Indoor Air quality
Product
-
ModCell Traditional Panel

Structural work / Passive system
ModCell® is one of the first products to make large-scale, carbon-negative building a commercial reality.
The ModCell® system utilises the excellent thermal insulation qualities of straw bale construction to form prefabricated panels, made in a local Flying Factory™.
ModCell® allows super-insulated, high-performance, low energy ‘passive’ buildings to be built using renewable, locally sourced, carbon sequestering materials that include straw bale and hemp to create a less than zero carbon construction system.
Urban environment
As a co-housing scheme, members share facilities in what is known as a common house, which includes a laundry, communal cooking and eating space, a play area and office space. The common house is a place to meet and socialise as well as where the day to day management of the society is based. Each house and apartment has their own kitchen and bathroom like any other home. This communal approach to sharing, cuts energy use and promotes a sustainable way of life as residents are encouraged to grow food and provide a supportive environment for older and vulnerable members.
White Design also designed the landscape and the principles of cohousing informs many aspects of the layout of the site. The houses and apartments are arranged around an informal courtyard with a pond at its centre. The pond harvests rainwater as part of the Sustainable Urban Drainage scheme (SUDs). One third of the site is set up as a shared landscape with allotment gardens, which will be used by the residents to grow their own food and reduce their ecological footprint. Car spaces are also limited to reduce the carbon emissions from transport and all residents sign an agreement on joining which commits them to the philosophy of the society.
LILAC’s community and sustainability agenda, was the reason it chose to build using straw. “We chose straw for its environmental credentials and because it allowed the community to get involved in the construction process,” explains Paul Chatterton, resident and co-founder of LILAC.
Land plot area
5 000,00 m2
Built-up area
16,00 %
Green space
1 000,00
Parking spaces
There is limited on-site parking and ample cycle storage facilities
Author of the page
Other case studies

TherapieStützpunkt
- 07/04/2021
- /
- Sabrina Gassner
- /
- 6771

House Solaris 416
- 02/04/2021
- /
- Michaela Fink
- /
- 4349

Charter Telecom headquarters
- 02/04/2021
- /
- Sarah King
- /
- 5956

Kindertagesstätte Calarasi
- 02/04/2021
- /
- Construction21 Communication
- /
- 4069

Zetland Passive House
- 01/04/2021
- /
- Tiffany Chong
- /
- 5778

Two innovative, near zero carbon houses
- 01/04/2021
- /
- Brad Kelly
- /
- 4949