Quinton Scott

Leading Wimbledon and Kingston estate agent, Quinton Scott is currently marketing a unique development of four low energy, low water use homes.

The contemporary architect-designed homes, located just three minutes walk from the Kingston bus and train stations, have been designed utilising the latest water and heat efficiency technology to ensure maximum environmental sustainability.

The homes are set around a courtyard called Higgs Yard – just off the Richmond Road – which is an oasis of peace, in a central location. The courtyard was where Alfred Higgs, a Victorian chemist, tended his vines for his popular home-made grape tonic.

The fabric of the building (walls, floors, roof, ceilings and windows) is of the highest specification and as a result the apartments enjoy a number of benefits. These include self-regulating temperature (not too hot in summer or cold in winter), fantastic sound insulation and the added advantage of lower energy and service charge bills. The homes are designed to be 30% more efficient than the new advanced building regulations and are well in advance of most contemporary schemes.

Water usage is also addressed. Toilets are supplied by Ifo-cera and fed with water from the rainwater storage facility underneath the courtyard, which has a capacity of 15 days of toilet flushing (there is a mains backup should rainfall be scarce). Further energy savings are made on heating water with solar panels pre-heating approximately 60% of the water and highly efficient gas combination boilers heating the rest.

As part of the environmental thinking behind the development there are no car parking spaces. However there is good provision for bicycle storage with covered stands providing residents with safe storage for their bikes.

The ‘green’ thinking extend to the development’s waste. Residents will have the use of a dedicated undercover area for communal recycling and storage of tins, glass, plastic and paper. Additionally, there is storage space for recycling within each apartment. Provision is also made for green and uncooked waste with a composter located beneath a tall bamboo/willow frame allowing the organic waste to fertilise the Alfred Carriere climbing roses and black desert grape vine.

The recycling store is equipped with specialised containers for the storage of cooked kitchen waste. These containers are effective in reducing volume (and odours) before council collection and produce a liquid that can be fed to the development’s strawberry tree, Oregon blackberry and Ben Lomond black currants plants.

The Higgs Yard courtyard has been designed to provide a pleasant environment for all residents. The stained glass depicting the grape vine grown by Alfred Higgs sets the tone and welcomes all who enter the gates into the courtyard. Local artists have added their special touch and in years to come the planting of a mixture of edible, herbal and ornamental plants mingling with artworks will flourish and provide a small green sanctuary for residents.

While the development has been designed with a green lifestyle in mind they also provide residents with 21st century comfort. Internally, the apartments have been finished to a luxurious level. For instance the elegant Manhattan style kitchens have been completed with low-energy appliances and black granite worktops and the bathrooms enjoy an equally high level of specification.

For more information about Higgs Yard interested parties should contact Quinton Scott’s Kingston office on 020 8939 8181.