Gentoo changing future of housing.
AT Gentoo, we're open to a world of new possibilities.
Re-imagine the future; believe nothing is impossible; cultivate a
learning curiosity - these values sum up our approach and reflect the
ambitious challenges we set ourselves.
As a pioneering Art of Living business we invest our energy and resources into people, the planet and property to create neighbourhoods where people want to live and stay. We've invested more than PS513m modernising our housing stock over the past 12 years. In addition we have built more than 1,800 new homes, which are to the highest environmental and design standards. Our retro-fit programme helps to bring down the cost of heating a home through energy-efficient installations and we complete more than 250,000 annual repairs to customers' homes to ensure our customers' satisfaction.
But there is more to our story than the homes we provide. Thinking differently is an ethos we take to heart. We're committed to improving how people live, both now and in th- future, and that means being smart about the planet and the resources we use today. Finding ways to reduce waste, efficiently use less energy and stem the rise in domestic energy bills, is well within our grasp.
We're committed to finding new solutions that make Planet Smart options easier and more accessible to our customers. For example, our award-winning PassivHaus development of 28 energy-efficient bungalows in Houghton-le-Spring has shown what is possible within a social housing complex. Building on this success, our own Planet Smart Haus, due for completion in spring 2014, is designed to deliver the lowest cost 2016 Code for Sustainable Homes compliant house in the UK.
Our retirement village currently under construction in Doxford Park, Sunderland, will provide a vibrant community for older people. With investment from the Homes & Communities Agency, our building work on this PS11.6m development has been rated as "Excellent" using BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) criteria. The development is due to complete in mid-2014 and will include 40 Extra Care apartments and facilities to provide health care support to people living in their own home.
There will also be 40 older persons' apartments and 14 bungalows allowing people to live independently alongside their neighbours. Our ambition to improve people's lives is broad reaching. Our collaborative project partners span academia, health services, local government agencies and the supply chain.
Two innovative projects that will influence further regeneration projects include: Improving health and homes - working with Bangor University and Nottingham City Homes, we are undertaking a three-year study involving residents of retro-fitted homes to determine whether warm homes result in health improvements.
The Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY) measurement survey will hopefully show an improvement in quality of life - a recognised and important measure in NHS decisionmaking.
'Boiler on Prescription' is a trailblazing pilot project which allows GPs to prescribe specific home improvements to patients with medical conditions worsened by living in damp conditions. Funded by the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), it is hoped that lung conditions such COPD will be improved resulting in increased patient comfort and less need for medical intervention.
The GP will measure the patient's health improvements and, crucially, savings to the NHS will be recorded.
As well as building affordable, energy-efficient new homes, we are making it easier for first-time buyers to gain access to the housing market.
Genie, an FCA regulated home purchase payment plan, provides a different route to home-ownership and helps people step on to the property ladder without a deposit or mortgage.
Since its launch in 2011, the Genie rent-to-buy scheme has helped 72 first-time buyers turn their dream of affordable home-ownership into a reality.
CAPTION(S):
Above, Gentoo's vision at Doxford Park is to create housing for older >people with a 'retirement village' experience to it. Right, Gentoo's awardwinning PassivHaus development Racecourse Estate
As a pioneering Art of Living business we invest our energy and resources into people, the planet and property to create neighbourhoods where people want to live and stay. We've invested more than PS513m modernising our housing stock over the past 12 years. In addition we have built more than 1,800 new homes, which are to the highest environmental and design standards. Our retro-fit programme helps to bring down the cost of heating a home through energy-efficient installations and we complete more than 250,000 annual repairs to customers' homes to ensure our customers' satisfaction.
But there is more to our story than the homes we provide. Thinking differently is an ethos we take to heart. We're committed to improving how people live, both now and in th- future, and that means being smart about the planet and the resources we use today. Finding ways to reduce waste, efficiently use less energy and stem the rise in domestic energy bills, is well within our grasp.
We're committed to finding new solutions that make Planet Smart options easier and more accessible to our customers. For example, our award-winning PassivHaus development of 28 energy-efficient bungalows in Houghton-le-Spring has shown what is possible within a social housing complex. Building on this success, our own Planet Smart Haus, due for completion in spring 2014, is designed to deliver the lowest cost 2016 Code for Sustainable Homes compliant house in the UK.
Our retirement village currently under construction in Doxford Park, Sunderland, will provide a vibrant community for older people. With investment from the Homes & Communities Agency, our building work on this PS11.6m development has been rated as "Excellent" using BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) criteria. The development is due to complete in mid-2014 and will include 40 Extra Care apartments and facilities to provide health care support to people living in their own home.
There will also be 40 older persons' apartments and 14 bungalows allowing people to live independently alongside their neighbours. Our ambition to improve people's lives is broad reaching. Our collaborative project partners span academia, health services, local government agencies and the supply chain.
Two innovative projects that will influence further regeneration projects include: Improving health and homes - working with Bangor University and Nottingham City Homes, we are undertaking a three-year study involving residents of retro-fitted homes to determine whether warm homes result in health improvements.
The Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY) measurement survey will hopefully show an improvement in quality of life - a recognised and important measure in NHS decisionmaking.
'Boiler on Prescription' is a trailblazing pilot project which allows GPs to prescribe specific home improvements to patients with medical conditions worsened by living in damp conditions. Funded by the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), it is hoped that lung conditions such COPD will be improved resulting in increased patient comfort and less need for medical intervention.
The GP will measure the patient's health improvements and, crucially, savings to the NHS will be recorded.
As well as building affordable, energy-efficient new homes, we are making it easier for first-time buyers to gain access to the housing market.
Genie, an FCA regulated home purchase payment plan, provides a different route to home-ownership and helps people step on to the property ladder without a deposit or mortgage.
Since its launch in 2011, the Genie rent-to-buy scheme has helped 72 first-time buyers turn their dream of affordable home-ownership into a reality.
CAPTION(S):
Above, Gentoo's vision at Doxford Park is to create housing for older >people with a 'retirement village' experience to it. Right, Gentoo's awardwinning PassivHaus development Racecourse Estate
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| Title Annotation: | Features |
|---|---|
| Publication: | The Journal (Newcastle, England) |
| Date: | Feb 21, 2014 |
| Words: | 635 |
| Previous Article: | Finding the true level of repairs satisfaction. |
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