Design & Sustainability
At Swan, we place the achievement of the highest standards of design and sustainability at the core of our regeneration and development programme.
Our Design & Sustainability Panel meets regularly to inform our strategy. Members include:
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Swan Housing Group Board
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Homes and Communities Agency
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The Kent Architecture Centre
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Essex County Council, Built Environment
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CABE
Delivering Excellent Urban Design
Urban design is fundamental to creating thriving, sustainable communities. It impacts on how people live their lives, how neighbourhoods are perceived and how communities function.
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We have set up a strategic partnership with some of the country's leading architectural practices
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We run an urban design course for our employees with the Kent Architecture Centre, which covers the tenets of good urban design and empowers our employees to challenge design professionals
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We have commissioned the Swan Design Guide, which articulates our urban design philosophy and provides us with robust design requirements
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We ask all new residents for their views on design, usability and quality of new homes and use this feedback to improve our design and specifications on future schemes
Building Sustainable Homes
The Code for Sustainable Homes is the Government’s standard for the sustainable design and construction of new homes, under which the sustainability of new homes is rated on a scale ranging from 1 to 6.
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All of Swan's schemes assessed must attain a minimum Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3 rating.
- We are currently developing a ‘carbon-neutral’ scheme at Cranes Court, Basildon, Essex, which will achieve a Code for Sustainable Homes Level 6 rating.
- We constantly strive to develop innovative solutions that both minimise environmental impact and enhance our residents' quality of life
- To achieve continuous improvement, we regularly measure and review our performance