The construction sector is constantly seeking ways of making its work greener, with talk of cutting embedded carbon in concrete and the importance of making buildings more energy efficient being combined with considerations about the level of emissions generated by the building process itself.
Such issues are at the forefront of a project involving Tolent Construction, which has just signed a deal with Sunderland City Council to deliver a new £40 million housing project in the city centre.
Known as Vaux Riverside, the scheme will see 135 homes being built using modern methods of construction, aimed at minimising emissions in the process.
Precisely cut products from sheet metal specialists may help provide the contractor with just the materials they need for the new homes, some of which are state-of-the art dwellings that were named as winners in a RIBA-sponsored competition to find the ideal homes for the UK in 2030.
The confirmation of the deal was welcomed by chief executive officer of Tolent Paul Webster, who said: “The project will complement a number of local landmarks that we have constructed including The Beam, Beacon of Light and Echo Building.”
Vaux Riverside is part of the wider Sunderland Riverside project, which aims to transform the heart of the city with 1,000 new dwellings in four distinctive neighbourhoods, increasing the population of the area by 2,500.
In addition to the new homes, the scheme, described by the city council as “the most ambitious city centre regeneration in the UK”, will also include a million sq ft of office and commercial space that aims to attract “unprecedented” investment and create 10,000 new jobs, as well as new open spaces and parks.
The scheme may help reverse the slight decline in the city’s population, which was just been revealed in 2021 Census data. This showed the number of people living in Sunderland had dropped by 0.5 per cent – around 1,300 – since 2011.
