Here at Northstone, we have four Sustainable Development Goals which underpin the planning and execution of our new homes and local environment:
- 1. Sustainable cities and communities
- 2. Decent work and economic growth
- 3. Responsible consumption and production
- 4. Life on land
These goals ensure that sustainability is considered and fed into every aspect of our homebuilding process. From the land we choose to build on through to the communities that we help to grow and develop, we want to ensure that our homes are built with the future in mind. This also means having a positive impact on those that choose to live in our homes, as well as the existing local ecosystem.
Here, we’ll explore what steps Northstone takes to ensure that our local communities and ecosystems can thrive and develop sustainably long into the future.
Building a lasting legacy through community
A lot of thought goes into the places that we choose to locate our communities – before we even lay the first bricks, we consider how future residents will use and interact with the spaces around our homes.
We’re not simply building homes; we’re creating the conditions necessary to ensure that communities can thrive long into the future. In practical terms, this means laying the foundations for the protection, enhancement and restoration of the existing natural environment, and the promotion of local residents’ interaction with nature by providing accessible green spaces and outdoor communal areas.
Creating low-carbon communities
We are committed to supporting the development of low carbon communities, from encouraging the use of more sustainable transport through the creation of safe cycleways and attractive links to local transport, to embedding sustainability in our homes.
In fact, our homes are built with sustainability in mind from the very first brick, sourced locally where possible, with each housetype designed to brick dimensions to avoid wasteful off-cuts. From there, our homes are packed full of clever technology, from an outside iParcel box which not only means residents don’t need to be in to collect deliveries but helps to keep heat in the home, to an intelligent Wondrwall system – a self-learning AI technology device that adapts home heating, lighting and security to residents’ routines.
Meeting the needs of communities now and in the future
Sustainability at Northstone is about meeting the needs of residents now while future-proofing our spaces for the years to come.
A core way we do this is through pushing boundaries with our house types. We take inspiration from communities and cultures from around the world to ensure the design of our homes evolve simultaneously with the housing needs of the population. From accommodating multigenerational living to catering for the needs of hybrid working to including electric vehicle charging points, we make sure our designs keep up with the world we live in.
To truly understand the needs of our communities, we take them along the journey with us – encouraging engagement and consultation throughout the development process. We give our residents more autonomy over the design of their home, offering the opportunity to choose floorplans and layouts that will best accommodate their lives.
These are just some of the ways we focus on creating sustainable communities and places at Northstone. Because ultimately we believe providing new homes is about much more than bricks and mortar; it’s about creating diverse, community-focused spaces that will shape the future of living.
