Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Bid for pioneering eco-office
Plans to build innovative ecofriendly offices near the city centre have been met with praise. Jo Kidd and Terry Thompson have launched a bid to construct three single-storey buildings in Star Place, St Dunstan’s, which would house five office units. The site behind the Pilgrims Hospices charity shop would feature a community garden. Mr Thompson said: “We believe everything that’s built should be mindful of the impact it has. Whether it’s the energy consumption, the materials used - is the most effort made to make it the least energy consuming and the least impact? And can it have a positive impact on the natural environment in some form?”
He and Ms Kidd have a track record of delivering green initiatives, including running a vegan organic farm in Boughton and a coppicing wood yard in Chartham Hatch.
They founded Linden Grove Community Garden about six years ago, while living in St Dunstan’s.
Keen to extend the project, they acquired neighbouring land, and have now launched plans to build “low-impact” office units to fund the garden’s expansion and upkeep.
“Instead of concrete for the office foundations, we’re using stone sat on recycled material, and will have a jack system that allows the buildings to be jacked up or down if there’s any movement,” said Mr Thompson. “Then we’re using chestnuts from a local woods to clad the buildings, and metal to cover the roofs. We’ve also got a wet room to promote cycling.”
The largest office will be warmed by waste heat produced by lighting, computers, and people, reducing both carbon emissions and energy bills.
He says the garden, now named Star Place Community Garden, will help support locals. Concerns have been raised by residents in nearby flats about access to the site, antisocial behaviour and “poor design”. But Canterbury Heritage Design Forum has praised the idea as “very interesting” and “imaginative”.