The Triangle scheme is being developed in a joint venture between Hab Oakus, a residential development company established by Kevin McCloud, and the housing group GreenSquare.
The development site is a former caravan storage area and plant nursery just off Northern Road in Swindon where a mix of 42 sustainable code level four and five homes will be built by Willmott Dixon.
The contract award marks will come as a relief to McCloud who has suffered a series of delays in his vision for a sustainable housing scheme in Swindon.
The Triangle is part of McCloud’s plans to create housing which supports sustainable lifestyles, with open public spaces, rainwater recycling and kitchen garden areas where residents can grow their own vegetables.
The energy efficient development also makes use of traditional eco-friendly techniques and materials such as a hemp wall filling with lime plaster, rainwater recycling and air source heat pumps.
Willmott Dixon Housing won the contract in competitive tender from Westlea Housing Association.
The project will take a year to complete, with television company talkbackThames producing and filming it. McCloud, who developed the concept for the entire project, will present the show, which will feature the step-by-step process of creating environmentally–friendly housing in a suburban location.
Willmott Dixon’s operations director Paul Bartholomew said: “We’re proud to be involved with such a high profile development that will receive national prominence. The Triangle poses several challenges for us, including the use of hemp and sending zero waste to landfill, but we can’t wait to get started. There are also great training opportunities for local tradespeople and trainees using the 4ward2work initiative.’’
