Radian: Copnor Green, Portsmouth

“They tried to do something different with the design.”

Steve Douglas

Number of homes: 14 (all affordable)
Cost: £1.8 million

When a railway bridge needed urgent repairs, Portsmouth Council was forced to relocate the adjacent Copnor Bridge bowling green and, once the work was completed, decided to dispose of the site by inviting formal tenders. In stepped Radian, which built six houses and eight flats for affordable rent, including two units adapted for residents with disabilities. The homes, which meet code for sustainable homes levels 3, 4 and 5, are fitted with data-collecting equipment to monitor whether their energy efficiency performance matches the design aspirations. The results will be shared with the local authority as a means of promoting further low-carbon development in the city.