Sustainable living

The homes at King’s Cross are designed to have a minimal impact on the environment. The buildings are orientated to take in the views, but not too much direct sunlight. They are built with dense materials that keep things cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Rubbish and recycling have been carefully considered and all the heating and hot water comes from the on-site Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant.

Each home will meet the Code for Sustainable Homes rating of four or higher.

How are the buildings heated?

Each new building connects to the Energy Centre through the district heating network. The centre provides power and generates heat via Combined Heat and Power (CHP) engines. This is a very efficient way to heat the buildings and it  should mean lower energy bills for residents. The centre provides close to 100% of the development’s heat and hot water needs. Learn more about the King’s Cross Energy Centre.

Where does the waste go?

At King’s Cross, we aim to send zero waste to landfill. In 2014/15 we manage achieved this goal for public waste! Our waste from public areas and the buildings is channelled through three streams – direct recycling, food waste and mixed waste which goes to incineration for energy.

Our non-recyclable waste goes to a Veolia Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) in Deptford
Our mixed recycling goes to a Veolia Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Southwark
Our food waste is handled by Bio Collectors in Sutton.

In 2014/15 over 90% of construction waste was diverted from landfill. We’re hoping to up this rate next year through clear waste segregation practices and tool-box talks to employees.

A place for people, not cars

While there is provision for car parking at King’s Cross, the feeling you get here is most definitely car-free. The streets and public spaces give priority to pedestrians and bikes, not cars. But that doesn’t mean that it’s hard to reach. With six underground lines, two mainline stations and 12 bus routes, it’s easy to get where you want to go. There are over 700 public cycle spaces. Find out more about cycle-friendly King’s Cross.

What is the code for sustainable homes?

This is the national standard for the sustainable design and construction of new homes. It aims to reduce carbon emissions and promote higher standards of sustainable design above the current minimum standards set out by the building regulations. The code uses a one to six star system to rate the performance of a new home against these 9 categories:
• energy/CO2
• water
• materials
• surface water runoff (flooding and flood prevention)
• waste
• pollution
• health and well-being
• management
• ecology