Priddy's Hard Peninsula

Priddy’s Hard is a development of 39 eco-friendly homes on a disused military brownfield site in Gosport, Hampshire. Surrounded by listed buildings and protected wildlife, and overlooking a tidal lake, the development needed to be planned and executed with enormous care, and three years of consultation took place before construction. The development, which also includes a military museum, pub and micro-brewery, is part of a larger regeneration plan to benefit the whole area.

Built by Elite NuGEN to plans by John Pardey Architects, the development ranges in design from neo-classical terraced townhouses referencing historic buildings on the site, to architecturally stunning, contemporary detached family homes. What all have in common is the use of modern methods of construction (MMC), careful choice of materials to create properties with lower embedded carbon, and the latest renewable energy systems and home technology systems for 75% lower energy usage. Care was taken to reduce disturbance to wildlife, with the construction of the insulated timber frames taking place close to the build, reducing site movement, noise and dust. The use of pre-insulated foundations, waterproof panelling in bathrooms and pre-finished doorsets helped to reduce time on site, while U-values and airtightness exceeded Building Regulations. Roof-mounted photovoltaic panels and batteries harvest and store energy for home heating using infra-red panels, all monitored and controlled by a sophisticated home automation system. Meanwhile, each home has a smart hot water tank that only heats what is required and learns the usage patterns to plan an optimum schedule.