John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, has formally launched a unique public-private partnership project to construct the first affordable eco-home for the mass market.

The house, a partnership between South Lanarkshire College, Dawn Homes and more than 20 private sector partners, will not only provide a unique training facility to teach students the principles of sustainable design, it is also a first for the Scottish housebuilding industry.

The low-energy house incorporates a holistic approach to sustainable design rather than adding expensive eco-extras which make the cost of mass replication prohibitive. The potential cost savings on energy bills not only have positive implications for the private housebuyer but also for the social housing market where the provision of low-cost, energy efficient properties offers a practicable solution for tackling fuel poverty.


Mr Swinney said: "Moving to a low carbon economy presents huge opportunities for Scotland and we need to make our buildings greener to meet ambitious climate change targets. With forthcoming changes to building standards to reduce emissions, there is a real opportunity for innovation and this project will help develop the low carbon house of the future."

From the design of the timber frame and placement of windows to the inclusion of heat recovery units and a rainwater harvesting system, the low-energy house, called the "Aurora" will incorporate techniques and technologies many of which are still uncommon in the UK. The four-bedroom detached house is scalable, allowing smaller or larger properties and semi-detached or terraced styles to be produced as the market demands.

Martin Egan, Managing Director of Dawn Homes, added: "The 'Green Living by Dawn' concept is the first step towards producing affordable and eco-friendly homes for the masses."

The Aurora at South Lanarkshire College will be used as a training facility to meet the imminent and emerging needs of operatives in the construction industry.

As part of the project Glasgow Caledonian University will be monitoring the house to provide live data on the low heat losses and the contribution that micro-renewable energy will make to energy flows into the building, evidencing the effectiveness of the eco-friendly design.

Construction is due for completion in September 2009 when SKILLBUILD, a major UK construction skills competition, will take place at South Lanarkshire College.

(GK/JM)