Lorna and Dave Rayner moved from their draughty bungalow in Burwell in January after winning a competition set by housebuilders Hill to find Cambridge’s ‘sustainable family of the future’. The Rayners will have their bills and rent paid for a year, and are already noticing the benefits of their new home’s futuristic features.
The four-bedroom house in Trumpington sports a state-of-the-art heat recovery ventilation system, triple glazing and ‘green roof’, among other eco-friendly features. These aim not only to reduce carbon emissions but improve the family’s general well-being. By living in town they can rely less on their car and use their bikes more, as well as the development’s excellent public transport facilities.
Says Lorna: “The Virido concept house is such a contrast from our 1950s bungalow! While we recycle and try to keep our waste to a minimum, zero carbon is a new concept for us so this experience is a real adventure and we’re very excited to learn more about how we can live a more sustainable lifestyle.”
As if moving house wasn’t adventure enough, the family, including children Harry and Ebony, received an new addition when Lorna gave birth to Orla Rose on 23 January – just 11 days after moving in.
“I was 35 weeks pregnant when we moved,” says Lorna. “I had two aims for the day, the first was not to have a baby – both our other children were born at 35 weeks – and second was to get settled as quickly as possible. Fortunately baby Orla didn’t arrive until 37 weeks so we had plenty of time to acclimatise to our new home.
“After Orla was born I was desperate to get home and enjoy our new little girl in our lovely new surroundings. We have often compared our house to a five star hotel, a reference only enhanced after what had turned into a bit of an epic week. The comfort, luxury and ambience were so inviting coupled with the huge welcome home smiles from Harry and Ebony.”
The project will help Hill identify which features are used in their Cambridge southern fringe development, which comprises 208 zero-carbon homes. Virido (‘to become green’ in Latin) is the final phase of the Great Kneighton development, to be delivered in conjunction with Cambridge City Council.
:: Read the Rayner family’s blog here
